Crusade
by Swinging Cloud
Summary: Princess Michiru finds herself kidnapped after a raid on her palace, but the bandits force her to realize that her father is slowly strangling the life out of his kingdom; My lame, vague spin on Robin Hood. HM. AU. UPDATE! NO WAY!
1. Kidnapped

So, I'm back with a new story. I know, I know, it's not that exciting.

It's an alternate universe, and, in case you skipped over the summary, it's my own lame spin on the Robin Hood tale.

This story should be pretty tame in the departments of sex and violence compared to my other stories. O.o; But don't worry, after this story is over I'm sure I will get right back to doin my thang. ;)

Don't expect frequent updates. But I will get around to them, eventually. I hope.

And as per usual, Sailor Moon don't belong to me. Waaah.

* * *

"…and furthermore, the decision to wait would implement the… Your highness?"

Michiru looked up disinterestedly at her father's advisor's request for her attention. "Hm?"

The middle-aged advisor cleared his throat uneasily and shifted the documents he was holding from one hand to the other. "It is rather important that you pay attention…"

Michiru gave him an exasperated look and pulled her aqua hair back, off of her face. "Fresnel, can this not wait for Father to return home?" She sighed. She had many other things she would rather be doing than listening to political nonsense that did not concern her, but since she was required to, even staring off into the space she had just been intently focused on was vastly more exciting.

"Your highness, his return may not be for another day. This requires an immediate response…" Fresnel trailed off and swallowed, hoping that his princess would grasp the seriousness of the situation they were in. With the king gone, nothing could be done without the indifferent girl's approval.

Michiru sighed again and straightened in her chair, placing her hand on her forehead in a gesture of annoyance. "Then I suppose I will have to listen this time. Please repeat the parameters of the issue once more."

Just as Fresnel opened his mouth to speak, the door to the throne chamber burst open dramatically, and Osario, the captain of the princess's guard, rushed in anxiously, flanked by two other soldiers in his unit. Though secretly pleased at the interruption which would stall her from having to listen to the dreadfully boring politics, Michiru did have a role to play.

She stood up gracefully, her tone falsely angry. "What is the meaning of this disruption?"

Osario did not move to bow, an uncharacteristic habit that alarmed Michiru at once. "Your highness, we have been breached," he said quickly, moving to her side. "It is of the utmost importance that we relocate you without delay."

Michiru processed the words but did not fully understand them. "A breach?" The idea, to her, was impossible! Nobody 'breached' the palace.

"Yes," Osario said urgently, glancing carefully over his shoulder. He was on edge, tense with anticipation. "Your father took the majority of the guards with him to war. The palace has been left, in all aspects, defenseless- although, in appearance, the lack of defenses is utterly impossible to discern from an outsider's point of view. Whoever is raiding has an insider's perspective."

"An insider's perspective? They're professionals," Michiru stated slowly.

"_Yes_," Osario said again, this time more forcefully. "Your highness, we must go now. We are not being attacked, but it could quickly turn."

Michiru nodded. "Lead the way," she ordered. Osario turned, nodded to his nearby guards, and they moved into formation around Michiru and Fresnel, who cowered by the princess's side. In all of his many years in service, he had never seen the palace breached.

They reached the vast and open hallway which was lined with plush, royal blue carpeting, and moved to turn the corner which would lead them into the main audience chamber. From there, they could access the secret passageway behind an ornate tapestry which would take them through the bowels of the palace and up through the stable. As they reached the chamber, however, they were met by seven bandits, dressed in dark black hooded cloaks, standing casually in the center of the room.

Osario moved forward bravely and drew his sword, signaling his men to continue on with the princess. Before any of them could move, however, four of the hooded men had surrounded and disarmed them, leaving the other three still in position in the center of the room.

The two guards and Fresnel sank to the floor, unconscious, from carefully placed blows from three of the men. The fourth cloaked figure hesitated with Michiru, unsure about landing a physical blow on the princess. He looked back uncertainly towards his leader, a tall man in the center of the room, but the man in question was not paying attention. The bandit leader was focused on Osario, who was deciding between confronting him or backing up to defend Michiru.

The leader did not give him long to decide. He moved forward, almost gracefully. From where she was standing, Michiru could only see the bottom half of the bandit's face. It was attractively smooth, with lips pulled up into an amused smile.

"It seems you're outnumbered," the leader said casually. Several chuckles came from the surrounding hooded figures. "Why don't you surrender?"

Osario glared and gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, his palms sweating. "Surrender is not in my vocabulary," he growled.

The tall bandit shrugged, this time showing his teeth when he smiled. "Your choice, then."

Though terrified for Osario, Michiru was also proud of him for standing his ground, and prayed for his victory- although, she knew, even if he beat their tall and obviously capable leader, he would still have six other men to go through. She began to eye her surroundings, looking for the nearest escape. Perhaps when they began the fight she could make a mad dash for the nearest exit. As she was searching, she noticed two of the bandits slip away, and suddenly her hopes heightened a little. Now there were only four more bandits to go through- slightly better odds. She swallowed nervously and clenched her fists.

As Osario and the bandit leader began to size each other up, one of the other bandits moved behind Osario and rapped him on the side of the head, knocking him unconscious. The bandit leader looked down at the fallen guard, shaking his head pityingly. "Sorry," he murmured. "But I'd rather you weren't hurt."

Michiru's heart sank. So much for her intended escape- unless she made a dash for it anyways. Would they hurt her? Kill her? She had no idea, but she had to risk it. Who knew what seven men planned to do with her? She repressed a disgusted shudder at the thought, and prepared to make a run for the door, which was an unfortunate yard away.

Almost as if he had read her mind, the bandit leader looked up at her, smiling his charming smile again. Michiru still could not see the color of his eyes because of the shadows, but she didn't care. She had to run now, before they got closer. She turned to flee and instead ran into one of the other cloaked bandits that had moved up behind her to block her intended escape. He gave her a wicked grin and, placing his hand on the side of her face, pushed her back into the wall roughly.

"What have we here?" he asked tauntingly, his voice like silk. He was not unattractive.

"Leave me alone," Michiru demanded, inwardly frightened.

"Now what fun would that be?" the bandit asked mockingly, then laughed lowly.

Michiru tried to see around her captor to the bandit leader. She vaguely remembered him saying that he didn't want to hurt Osario- surely he didn't want her hurt as well? She searched wildly for him, but he was out of her line of sight.

"Oh, my, but you are pretty," the bandit was saying, turning her face roughly to look at it. He inhaled deeply. "Smell good, too."

Michiru was repulsed, but she gave no outward sign. The bandit placed his free hand on the other side of Michiru's face and gently traced his fingers down the side of her neck. He moved lower, but when he reached Michiru's collarbone, the aqua-haired girl gave a violent struggle.

"Stop," she hissed.

The bandit pushed her into the wall harder. "Be careful, princess. Or I'll find out how easy that dainty dress of yours is to get off."

Michiru glared and defiantly spit in the bandits face. With an angry growl, the bandit let go of her face, reached under his hood to wipe the spit off of his, and grabbed Michiru's wrist tightly.

"You've just dug your own grave, girl."

Michiru could see the flash of his eyes, and she struggled, crying out as his grip tightened even further on her wrist.

They both froze at the sound of a knife burying itself into the wall two inches from Michiru's face. The bandit turned, giving Michiru a view of who had thrown the knife.

The bandit leader stood with a frown on his face, tension and anger radiating from his body. Michiru could tell he was not happy and the bandit who was holding her wrist released her and turned to confront the bandit leader.

"Watch yourself, Asbolus," the leader said dangerously.

"She's the daughter of Chiron," Asbolus hissed. "She needs to learn her place."

"That's not our job," the leader said. "She's harmless. Leave her."

"Since when do you give orders, Haruka?" Asbolus challenged, turning from Michiru altogether. "I will have my revenge."

Haruka's lips pulled into a snarl, and in a move so fast Michiru almost missed it, he grabbed Asbolus and threw him over his shoulder. Asbolus landed on his back, which knocked the air out of him, and he lay, struggling to recover, for a few moments.

The effort of throwing Asbolus had pushed Haruka's hood down, and Michiru could now see that he had tousled, short blonde hair and startlingly vibrant teal eyes. The top half of his face matched the lower half- smooth and attractive. Michiru felt her heart flutter involuntarily at his beauty. As if just noticing her for the first time, Haruka glanced at her, straightening his posture, then he turned disinterestedly away.

Michiru noticed that Asbolus's face had been revealed as well. He was also attractive, but unlike Haruka, he sported a very thin beard and had tanner skin. Michiru hardened. She had to escape while she could. She remembered the knife in the wall and, in a sudden rush of adrenaline, forced it out, struggling to remember the brief lessons in combat she had received. She moved to attack Haruka, but the bandit heard her quick footsteps and, looking almost bored, turned and caught her wrist.

He smiled amusingly. "Thank you, I might've forgotten this." Still gripping her wrist, he pried the knife out of her hand with his free one. He dropped her unceremoniously onto the floor and returned his knife to its sheath. "Be good," he warned, then went back to taking no notice of her.

Michiru fumed on the floor as Haruka looked to one of his men who sported a very short dark brown goatee. She also noticed that the two bandits who had disappeared earlier had returned, holding a very familiar sword wrapped in a black silk cloth. It was then that she made the connection- that sword was one of her father's most prized possessions, taken from a faraway empire that her father had conquered, similar to what he was out doing now, and these bandits were stealing it. She stared, wide-eyed, at Haruka, and remembered Osario's implication at their being professionals. She snapped back to the present when she noticed Haruka was gazing down at her.

"Excellent job," Haruka said, his voice reminding Michiru of velvet. She felt like she could listen to it forever. She internally scolded herself- these were bandits!

Haruka turned, and motioned for the others to leave. Michiru was relieved. She was unharmed, and Osario would awaken shortly. Then, when her father returned, they could track down the bandits and punish them for her undeserved indignities. She was caught up in her fantasties of revenge until a question prompted her to pay attention again.

"What about the girl?" the goateed man was saying in a serious tone as they moved away

Haruka shrugged, pausing to glance at Michiru over his shoulder. "Leave her. We have what we came for."

The goateed man hesitated uncertainly. "She's identified us," he said. "Well, you and Asbo, at least."

Haruka chuckled slightly, a wicked grin on his features. "If you're so worried about it, Pholus, then kill her."

Michiru became alarmed at these words, but Pholus hesitated again, causing Haruka to laugh outright. "Well, then bring her with us. I'm sure we'll figure out something to do with her." He paused and smiled. "I'm sure Asbo can think of a few things." The others laughed, except for Asbolus, who sulked, and Haruka gave Pholus a wink.

Michiru did not think the exchange was funny in the slightest. The thought of being kidnapped and taken from her home, her safe haven, was more frightening than death. She had no idea what awaited her outside the palace walls, away from the protection of her personal guard and the fawning of her servants. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but she had never needed to.

Pholus was bending to help her to her feet. "Come on, now," he said gently. Michiru stood and shoved him angrily away, determined to make it as difficult as possible. Maybe the bandits would leave her alone if she was too much trouble.

In a flash, Haruka was before her, the knife Michiru was so familiar with pressed to her throat. Michiru found herself staring into intense, dangerous teal eyes and a very attractive face. "I suggest you don't cause problems, princess," Haruka muttered, his hazardous tone making the hairs on the back of Michiru's neck stand on end. "You won't like the alternative."

In another instant, Haruka had stepped away, sheathed his knife, and had replaced his hood over his head. With a wolfish grin, he turned and left Michiru with Pholus, who gently bound her hands in front of her with black rope and told her, "It's just a precaution… let me know if I tie it too tight."

"Ready?" Haruka asked, returning, his features once again obscured by his black hood.

Pholus nodded, and glanced at Michiru, smiling softly.

"Make sure you catch her."

Pholus nodded again, and Michiru was confused- until Haruka moved forward and quickly slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close and holding her in place before pressing a folded black cloth firmly over her nose and mouth.

Her deep blue eyes widened in alarm and the last thing she remembered before she blacked out was slumping into Pholus's arms and the sight of an amused smile on Haruka's lips.

* * *

BWAHAHA. So that's the prologue. This story is only intended to be about 5 chapters… but eh, we'll see how well I stick to that. LOL. Like with everything, I tend to make a 5 minute story into a 5 hour story. We'll discover if it applies here or not.

Also, I will be using randomly chosen names in this story, but mucho points if you can guess where they are from. (Well, with the exception of Haruka and Michiru... they are from Sailor Moon, har har)


	2. Answers

The story continues! :D

Sorry it took so long, but hey, compared to the frequency of updates on my last story, I'm actually doing great! ;)

Sailor Moon is not mine. At all. Ever. :C

* * *

Michiru awoke, feeling vaguely light-headed and disoriented. It took her a few moments to realize that the bed she was sprawled across was not her large, expensive bed in the palace, but rather, a small, yet not uncomfortable, bed in a fairly dark nondescript room. With a start, she remembered the previous events that had led to her current position. She took in her surroundings carefully: there was a small, dimly-lit oil lamp on a table next to her bed and not much else. The gloom of the room made it impossible to tell what time of day it was, but she gingerly got out of bed and noticed, to her relief, that her clothes were mostly in place and that she had been unharmed.

Cautiously, she stepped through the doorway of the room and into an equally dark hallway, observing the rough wooden walls. She deduced that she was in a cabin of some sort and quickly began to formulate an escape plan. She had to make her way back to the palace somehow. Perhaps if she made it out of the cabin she could accost a civilian to kindly show her the way…. If she made it out.

She turned a corner and saw a staircase. Quietly descending into a bigger room that was only slightly better lit, she recognized the room as some kind of lobby, and took slight joy in knowing that the exit was very close. She spied the door on the far side of the room and glanced carefully around for any sign of another person. The room was still, quiet, and empty so she proceeded to the other side. Her heart was pounding as she reached the front door and grasped the handle.

"And I thought you were enjoying your stay."

With a small gasp, Michiru jumped slightly at the sound of the husky voice. She recognized it immediately as belonging to Haruka. She turned defiantly to face the bandit, and barely contained another gasp. Haruka was casually standing in the center of the room, but in none of the black gear that he wore when Michiru previously met him. Instead, he was clothed in a dark green sleeveless collared shirt and dark brown pants. The green of the shirt brought out the color of his eyes, and even in the dim lighting of the room, they sparkled with amusement. His frame, not obscured by a black cloak, was surprisingly slender yet solidly built. He stood with an almost feminine grace, and Michiru could not take her eyes from his.

Michiru nearly lost her resolve at his beauty, but she struggled to recall her anger. All she managed to say was, "Let me go."

He smiled, flashing perfect white teeth, and despite her anger, Michiru felt her heart skip a beat, which only made her angrier. Who was this man who had such control over her, in every aspect?

"Now what are the chances of me agreeing to that?" he asked smoothly.

Michiru was infuriated, both by his casual, polite attitude and by her own helplessness. "Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?" she said through gritted teeth.

His smile widened. "The thought had occurred to me once or twice, yes."

Michiru nearly screamed in frustration, but she moved closer to the blonde in what she hoped was a threatening manner and was assaulted with his scent. Oh god, he smelled good, too. "Who do you think you are?" she asked dangerously. "You can't just kidnap me and expect no consequences. When my father finds out, you will all be caught and murdered."

"We haven't been properly introduced," Haruka started slowly, sticking out his hand. "I'm Haruka."

Michiru balled her fist and angrily swung it at Haruka's head. The blonde easily caught her wrist, his smile fading. "Princess Michiru," he started in a low tone, "I expect your father will be discovering your absence soon. With any luck, he will pay your ransom money and we will return you safely, and," he added darkly, "with your cooperation, you will be returned in one piece." He squeezed her wrist slightly to emphasize his point, and then dropped her hand. "Now," he continued, his expression softening, "it is a pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand once more.

Michiru sighed in defeat and took his hand, surprised at the softness. She found herself caught up in his gaze again, losing all of her anger and awareness of her surroundings in his deep green eyes.

The sound of his velvety voice broke the spell. "Are you hungry?"

Michiru took a second to process his question and then felt herself nod absently, noticing for the first time the slight pain in her stomach which she had categorized before as her nervousness at escape.

He smiled, flashing his teeth again. "Then go ahead outside. Pholus has food for you."

"Where are you going?" Michiru blurted before she could stop herself. She felt stupid, but at the same time, she wanted to know the answer.

"I'll be around. Now go."

His tone was gentle, yet commanding, and Michiru found herself obeying as he stepped away from her and disappeared into the shadows.

She moved towards the door and opened it to reveal that there was no way she could have escaped earlier. Surrounding the meadow which the door opened out to, in varying states of unrest, were the other six bandits that had been present during her abduction, all of which were dressed in casual clothes and doing busywork. It was dusk; the sun was setting, but night had not fallen yet. There was a fire in the center of the meadow with a damper on it, which one of the men was attending.

As she stepped out further into the clearing, she caught the dark eyes of Asbolus, who turned away angrily and avoided her like the plague. She was genuinely relieved at his obvious evasion. Truthfully, the man scared her, even with being a part of Haruka's band. She turned away from Asbolus and saw Pholus coming towards her, having recognized him only by his goatee. He smiled at her as if she was a friend, which relaxed her somewhat.

Michiru studied him carefully- it was the first time she had seen him without his dark hood, and now she could finally put a face behind his gentle behaviors. He seemed slightly younger than Haruka, his face more boyish except for the goatee he sported, but, like Haruka, he was very attractive. His dark brown hair was shorter, but also messy. He was nearly as tall, but built a lot more solid. Though he was more graceful than the average person, his grace did not match Haruka's, and as he reached her, she noticed a faint horizontal scar located below his right hazel-colored eye.

"I'm glad you're awake," he said with sincerity. "Here, I brought you this." He held out a plate to her, which she did not notice he had been carrying. The plate had food on it, and Michiru's stomach growled loudly. She was so hungry, in fact, that she didn't even notice what kind of food it was. Pholus handed it to her and she ate as quickly as her proper etiquette allowed. Pholus watched for a moment and then led her to a secluded spot away from the other bandits where she could sit and finish her meal properly. Michiru sat down on a soft patch of grass and continued eating.

"How was your sleep?" Pholus asked lightly.

Michiru wanted to be bitter and give him a scathing comment, but the gentle look in his eyes made it impossible for her to be angry with him. Was this Haruka's plan? If it was, he was smart. Michiru swallowed the food she'd been chewing. "It was not unpleasant," she said finally. "But I have no recollection of how long I was asleep."

Pholus laughed slightly. "You were only out for a day, no more."

"I see," Michiru responded carefully. She took another hesitant bite of her food. "Might I ask who you all are and what your purpose is? You are not common bandits- my first officer Osario named you as professionals. Indeed I agree with him, if only for the fact that you were able to steal me away so successfully. What are your intentions?"

Pholus smiled sadly. "I cannot rightly answer your questions completely. However, I hope you will be satisfied with a partial answer."

Michiru frowned. "What choice have I? Please continue."

Pholus nodded. "We are, as you have called us, bandits. Although you may not believe what I will say because you have not witnessed it, we work for the good of the economy."

Michiru raised an eyebrow doubtfully, and Pholus smiled slightly. "Yes, even your kidnapping was for the best. If your father decides to pay your ransom, that money will be spent to help the struggling craftsmen and business owners in your kingdom."

"Is there no honest way to earn money?" Michiru questioned, becoming slightly angry. After all, they broke into _her_ home, kidnapped _her,_ and are helping the village at _her_ expense. She had every right to be angry!

Pholus sighed. "We have tried that route. Unfortunately, there is just no money to be had. Let's say I worked for a farm, but the farm cannot afford to pay me. What then?"

Michiru shrugged. "Find a new job, I suppose."

"Don't waste your time on her, Pholus," a familiar, but angry voice called. Michiru turned to find Haruka standing within listening distance, a look of pure anger on his face. "She cannot possibly understand what the town is going through. After all, she lives in a bubble in Chiron's palace."

Pholus frowned, casting Michiru a sad look. "I suppose you're right… but you know I will always try."

Haruka's expression softened towards his band member. "I know."

Michiru sat through the exchange growing more furious by the second. How dare they talk about her as if she wasn't there?

"I beg your pardon," she began coldly, rising from her seat, to glare at Haruka, "but I do not appreciate your talking around me."

Haruka's expression was not amused, as it had been in the past. "I apologize," he said bitterly, "that you must be talked around. After all, you do not have the slightest knowledge of what happens outside of Chiron's walls. Perhaps if you were not so selfish, uncaring, and ignorant, you might be treated as an equal to those here that are the exact opposite; but until that happens- that is to say, until hell freezes over- do not expect preferential treatment. As far as I am concerned, my horse has more outstanding qualities than you do." Haruka turned to Pholus and nodded in parting, and then turned and stalked off, leaving Michiru utterly speechless and shocked.

She thought about Haruka's words- was she those things? Was she so blinded by her life in the palace, having everything served to her, that she did not notice the dire condition of the surrounding town? She thought back to the previous day, before her kidnapping, when Fresnel had been reading her something important. She couldn't even recall what it was about, no matter how hard she tried. Had it been about the economy? Fresnel had approached her with desperation, she remembered that much. But she had mostly ignored him. The realization that she just didn't care about the town because it did not effect her stung.

"Princess?" Pholus asked gently.

Michiru looked up, a terrible feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. She swallowed, holding back tears. "Yes?" she asked.

"Don't worry- with any luck, your father will pay your ransom and you won't have to deal with Haruka any more."

Despite being said in a comforting way, the words hurt her even more- Pholus's solution was for her to return to a life of ignorance, and she hated the fact that she wanted that, too.

* * *

Once night rolled around, the bandits all moved inside and began working on different tasks. Michiru was surprised at the efficiency and the order with which they accomplished their various assignments. Some of them disappeared to purchase things from the nearby town, others were working on making arrows, and still others were attending to cleaning tasks. They functioned as a tight-knit community that was not at all barbaric, as Michiru had previously envisioned. Pholus was her guide, but she found that although friendly, the other bandits tended to avoid her.

"They don't want you to be able to identify them later, once you have returned to the palace," Pholus had explained as he led her to the kitchen. "Our identity is our passport to a free life. Once discovered, we would be subject to criminal charges."

"I know your identity," Michiru pointed out.

Pholus smiled tightly. "That you do. I suppose I am at your mercy."

Michiru thought about that for a moment. Pholus had been far too kind to her for her to ever have murdered. And despite Haruka's scathing words earlier, she found she could not have him murdered, either, for reasons she could not quite place. However, she had no qualms about Asbolus. She would feel better if she never saw him again.

"I don't imagine I could ever have you charged as a criminal," Michiru said thoughtfully. She did not mention her thoughts on Haruka or Asbolus.

Pholus grinned. "I'm glad to hear it. I guess I will live to rob again."

"I suppose I have a heart, after all," Michiru said teasingly, to which Pholus laughed. They had reached the kitchen, and Michiru turned to her guide questioningly.

"Haruka has placed you as head of the dishwashing facilities," he said grandly, with an amused, although slightly apologetic, smile. "You're in charge. Of course," he added jokingly, "you're the only one. But that's a minor factor."

"Dishwashing?" Michiru asked, shocked.

"That's right," Haruka reassured, appearing suddenly as he had a habit of doing. "Your stay will hopefully not be a lengthy one, but while you are here, I expect you to be a contributing member. Here," he said politely, handing her an apron and a red ribbon.

Michiru took them hesitantly, a scowl marring her features. "I'm to wash dishes?" she asked again, incredulously.

"Did you not hear the first time?" Haruka asked pleasantly, to which Pholus withheld a chuckle. "Yes. Tie up your hair, and get to work. You have a lot of dishes to go through. And by the way, if you do not like dishes, I would be more than happy to transfer you to the stable, where you can shovel manure from our horses. Let me know if you would prefer that instead."

Michiru hesitated, still too shocked to move. Her eyes scanned over the piles of dishes surrounding the medium-sized washtub and water pump.

Haruka smiled. "Perhaps you do not know how to wash dishes? It is really quite simple," he said gently. Pholus was laughing under his breath. "First, you fill the washtub with water. Then--"

"I know how to wash dishes!" Michiru fumed. "I've just… never..."

Haruka nodded in understanding. "Then this should be quite an experience for you. Good luck." He turned to Pholus. "Shall we?"

Pholus cast Michiru a sympathetic look and followed Haruka out of the kitchen, leaving Michiru grumbling angrily as she donned her apron and tied up her hair. Perhaps she could sentence Haruka to murder, after all.

* * *

Haruka returned an hour later, finding Michiru finishing up the last of the silverware. Michiru gave him an angry glare as he entered, not at all amused.

"I'm surprised you sunk to our level," Haruka stated, looking around at the stacks of clean dishes.

"Not by choice," Michiru responded irritably.

"Of course, of course," Haruka nodded, as if understanding the defiant Michiru a lot better. "But as a group, we all have our share of work to do to maintain order."

"You're bandits," Michiru spat. "You steal things. There is no order in that."

"We steal things, but we do not kill people," Haruka growled. "That makes us different from others- like your father."

"My father is not a bandit."

Haruka smiled sadly. "Isn't he, though? His conquests of surrounding areas that had peace treaties with him, his stealing their gold and terrorizing their villages, murdering those that were loyal to their kings and lords? Is he so much different than your notion of a bandit?"

Michiru had no response, and instead, Haruka took her back to the room she had previously stayed in.

"You may sleep here for tonight, but I will warn you- do not try to escape. Not all of my men will handle your attitude as diplomatically as I have." At Michiru's absent nod, Haruka continued. "Try to get some rest- we will be traveling in the morning."

"Where?" Michiru asked vaguely, her mind still overwhelmed with the realities she had been refusing to face about her father, and her sheltered life.

Haruka smiled, noticing her inattention. "I have trading to do, and because of your royal status, I do not want my men to be in charge of holding you. It is not only dangerous if they are caught by your father, but it is dangerous from… others."

Michiru's interest piqued. "Others?"

Haruka frowned. "We are not the only bandits in town, Princess. Now get some sleep." Haruka exited, closing the door gently behind him.

Michiru crossed to the bed and found a pair of nightclothes neatly placed there. She wondered how they had come to be there, and recalled Pholus's words about the use of their stolen money. Shrugging, she changed into the nightclothes, surprised at the softness. They were not silk, like her clothes in the palace, but they were just as comforting. She crawled into bed and her last thought before sleep took her was that some crafter of nightgowns was a little better off that night.

* * *

"Wake up." Haruka's firm voice roused Michiru awake very early the next morning. Michiru blinked and was only surprised for a moment before she remembered her situation. Haruka was holding a bundle of clothes, which he deposited on the end of her bed. "We are leaving in twenty minutes." His tone left no room for argument, and Michiru quickly got out of bed as Haruka left her to herself to change.

She put on the clothes Haruka had placed on the bed- a long, pale blue skirt that was lighter and easier to move around in than her many-layered dress, and a white bodice. The choices were quite tasteful, if a little plain, in Michiru's opinion, but she wondered what her hair looked like. Gazing around the room, she noticed a small table in the corner which had not been there previously. Curiously, she walked over and discovered a comb, a navy ribbon, and a small hand mirror on one side. On the other side there was a small washtub with a washcloth and soap. Gratefully, she began to clean up, washing her face with the lukewarm water, and brushing her hair. She tied it up with the ribbon and went downstairs, pondering the hospitality and generosity of her captors. She began to see that Haruka had been right- they were not at all like the bandits she had pictured them as.

Once she reached the downstairs room, she saw that Haruka, Pholus, and a bandit she did not know were standing in the center, dressed in their dark cloaks again. The hoods were down, and she took in the features of the newest bandit. He had short, tidy hair that was a dark red, and a neat poets' beard. His eyes were also hazel, but more green than brown. Pholus smiled at her and she smiled genuinely back.

Haruka nodded to the new bandit. "This is Leko," he said. Then, he regarded her new attire- appreciatively? Michiru felt herself blushing slightly under his gaze, and she turned to Leko.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said respectfully.

Leko grinned widely and Michiru wondered if there was a requirement that all men had to be attractive in order to be a bandit. Leko bowed dramatically. "A pleasure to meet you as well, ma'am," he said, and Michiru noticed he had a very thick accent that she couldn't quite place. Pholus rolled his eyes and punched Leko in the arm, to which he straightened up quickly, but gave Michiru a wink.

Michiru smiled at the gesture and turned to Haruka, who handed her another article of clothing.

"Here," he said, and as she took it she realized it was a cloak similar to the ones the other bandits were wearing. She looked up, surprised and Haruka sighed. "We can't have anyone identify you as the princess. We want to ward off as many possible attacks as we can."

Michiru nodded and carefully slipped the cloak on around her shoulders. It was a near perfect fit, and she wondered who it had belonged to, for it had belonged to somebody- there were signs of wear on the fabric. Haruka nodded in satisfaction at her new look and Michiru noticed for the first time that Pholus was holding the sword the bandits had stolen from her palace. Her stomach clenched, but she told herself to be open-minded and see for herself what was going to happen. She watched as Pholus wrapped the sword in a dark cloth and strapped it to his back carefully.

"We will be going through some dangerous territory," Haruka explained. "You will not leave Pholus's side. You will not, under any circumstances, remove your hood. If you fail to follow those two simple rules, I can almost assure you the consequences will result in your death."

Michiru gulped and nodded, and took her cue from Haruka as he and the two other bandits placed their hoods up over their heads. She stuck close to Pholus, who smiled gently at her. "Don't worry," he whispered reassuringly. "Nothing's going to happen- Haruka just likes to make a point." She nodded again as Haruka took the lead; She and Pholus followed with the sword, with Leko bringing up the rear.

They exited the cabin and Michiru noted that the sun had not risen yet. Haruka led them at a fast pace through the surrounding dark woods. Michiru was impressed at her own ability to not only keep up, but to avoid being snagged by the branches, roots and other forest hazards that might ensnare her and slow her down. She was in awe at her surroundings, having only seen forests in paintings, and she drank in the sights and sounds as much as she could. Despite her unfamiliarity with the woods, she kept pace with the bandits as they crept steadily through the dense, cool forest. Pholus offered her water from his water sleeve every so often so she stayed hydrated, but she was tiring rapidly, and after a couple of hours she was ready to collapse.

"We're almost there," Pholus told her softly when she asked how much further it would be. "But we are crossing into another group's territory, so we have to be on high alert."

"Another group?" Michiru asked. "How can you--"

"Quiet," Haruka hissed from a few paces ahead. Michiru saw that he had drawn his sword and was carefully moving, glancing around. Michiru looked behind her and saw that Leko had done the same, although his weapons of choice were long, twin daggers which he twirled nervously in his hands. Pholus had not drawn a weapon, but he was also wary. Michiru wished at that moment that she was armed. She was not as good as her captors with a weapon, but anything was better than being helpless.

After a few nerve-wracking minutes the tension dissipated, and Michiru breathed easier.

"We'll be emerging from the forest now," Pholus said quietly. "Remember to keep your face hidden."

Michiru nodded silently and, as promised, the small group appeared from the woods and into the sun. Much as she had in the forest, Michiru took in their surroundings with wonder. The forest had opened up onto a deserted, dirt path which gradually gave way to rocks. Michiru noticed that there were rock walls on either side of the path, until she lost sight of the trail. The trail had a split which meandered away from the forest and lead back the way they came.

Haruka crept cautiously out onto the path, then turned and silently signed some hand gestures to Pholus, who returned some gestures that Michiru did not understand. Haruka nodded and continued, and Pholus and Michiru stayed put at the edge of the forest. Leko had disappeared.

"We stay here now, until Haruka signals it's safe," Pholus explained in a whisper.

"Where's Leko?" Michiru whispered back.

"He's covering Haruka."

They waited tensely for a few moments, and then suddenly Leko dropped beside them, making Michiru jump in fright.

"Haruka says it's okay," Leko said quietly. He was holding a small throwing knife. Pholus nodded and motioned for Michiru to follow him.

"Don't say a word," he said in a barely audible voice as they approached Haruka and a strange man, dressed in a broad-brimmed straw hat, and foreign clothes. Michiru did not look at him further in fear of being discovered. Instead she kept her eyes trained on Pholus for any sign of danger.

"If I may see the sword," the foreigner said.

Pholus detached the sword from his back and handed it to the man. Leko stood poised and alert for any sign of a betrayal. Haruka stood confidently in control, seemingly at ease.

The strange man examined the sword for a few minutes, pointing out various attributes which marked the sword as once belonging to his master.

"Do we have a deal?" Haruka asked smoothly, extending his hand.

Michiru saw the strange man's hand grasp Haruka's, and he talked excitedly.

"Yes, yes, of course. I can only imagine what small fortune I will make with this. At first I had doubted your ability to regain it as you said, but now I see you are not only trustworthy, but very skilled as well. My master will be pleased- I will be well rewarded."

Haruka smiled. "It was not easy to steal," he said. "But, as promised, it will be returned to the place it rightfully belongs."

The foreigner spat. "Yes, indeed. That worthless Chiron betrayed my master's father several years ago. Talks of peace only led to a surprise ambush which resulted in my former master's death. Chiron has held this sword as a trophy for far too long."

Michiru processed the words, but couldn't believe them. She knew her father was cruel, but she had always attributed it as being necessary. She pondered her thoughts as the foreigner handed Haruka payment for the sword, and gleefully returned to a white horse which Michiru spied several feet away. The foreigner mounted it and galloped away. Once he was out of sight, Haruka motioned for the group to fall back to the forest.

They walked quietly, this time taking a different route. Haruka claimed it was because he had an errand to run, but it did not put them in dangerous territory again.

After a moment, Michiru felt she had to ask. "The foreigner," she began, looking at Pholus. "Was he truthful?"

Pholus nodded. "Yes. He left out the more gruesome details, but yes."

"'Gruesome details?'" Michiru wondered out loud.

Before Pholus could answer, however, Haruka stopped, turned, and confronted Michiru. "He left out the part about Chiron slaughtering Nessus's entire family," Haruka said, barely containing his rage. "Your father invited Nessus and his family to the palace for dinner, a peace talk." He laughed bitterly. "Instead, he had them all tortured and murdered. The only family member who was not present was Nessus's son, who was only a young boy at the time. Chiron kept Nessus's sword as a trophy, and proceeded to conquer the man's kingdom. The son, Soidal, escaped with the help of his servant- that man we just encountered. Now Soidal is plotting a rebellion, but first he wanted to take back what was his. His servant heard of our skill and charged us to steal the sword- which we did. But he's a fool--" Haruka said, his emerald eyes flashing, "I would have done it for free, if only to right what was wronged."

Haruka turned his head away for a moment, regained his compsure, and began to move again.

Michiru moved mechanically, lost in thought. Her father was really such a monster? She could not remember when that happened, she had been far too young. But she did recall just when he had acquired that sword, one of his most prized possessions. She felt tears coming to her eyes at the memory, at the fact that she had been deceived, and at the fact that she had been unaware of any of these horrible events that had transpired right in her own home.

"Haruka hates your father because of what he has done to our lives," Pholus stated quietly. "Your father is not a good man."

Michiru nodded, finally beginning to realize what kind of tyrant she was living with. The pit in her stomach grew colder as she realized that this gruesome story was probably not the only one of its kind related to her father.

Nor was it the last.

They made a stop at a blacksmith, entering through the back door. The young man there was surprised at first, brandishing his hammer, but once he spied the dark cloaks, he visibly relaxed. Haruka removed his hood and shook hands with the young man, who had black hair and bright blue eyes.

"Haruka, good to see you," he welcomed. "And Pholus, Leko," he nodded to them. He looked at Michiru, who had not removed her hood, and seemed taken aback and at a loss for what to say. He looked to Pholus for an explanation, and Pholus smiled.

"This is Hylonome- Hylo. She's our newest recruit, so she's still untrusting with her true identity."

The young man looked puzzled for a moment and then smiled. "I understand. Welcome, Hylo. My name is Elatus."

Michiru nodded silently, keeping her head down.

"She'll come around," Pholus explained.

"Is that Pholus I hear?" The voice of an elderly man called from another room. He entered, rather slowly, and smiled.

"Yes, Father," Elatus said. "He, Haruka, Leko, and their new recruit Hylo have come to pick up their order."

"Hylo, eh?" the elderly man said kindly, and Michiru noticed his eyes were the same brilliant blue as Elatus's. "Nice to meet you." He turned to Haruka. "Where have you been?"

Haruka smiled. "Here, there. You know the routine," he said gently. Michiru observed the bandits talking with these commoners, and felt as if she was watching old friends reunite. She wondered if Haruka and the others had been normal townspeople before becoming bandits, and what spurned them to do so.

As they chatted, Michiru looked around at the tools in the shop, wondering at their uses and completely enthralled at the workings of metal.

"We can't stay long," Haruka was saying. "We've already put you in danger."

The older man nodded, and gestured for Elatus to go and fetch the bandits' order.

Elatus disappeared for a few moments and returned carrying a small satchel, which he handed to Pholus, and a knife, which he handed to Haruka. Haruka examined the knife for a moment and smiled.

"Perfect, as usual," he said. "You're as good as your old man." He winked to the older man, who beamed proudly.

Elatus blushed. "You flatter me. I'll never be as good as Father."

The older man laughed and teasingly ruffled Elatus's hair. "That's not true, you've already surpassed me at metal-working."

Elatus blushed more. "If you say so."

Haruka handed Elatus a sack of money that Michiru recognized was three times more than the price of whatever Haruka had purchased. Elatus stared at the sack in surprise and tried to return it.

"Haruka, you know I cannot accept this," Elatus protested.

"You can and you will. Must we go through this every time?" Haruka said with a smile. He pulled out another sack of money and handed it to him. "And of course, to Cyllarus, for our rooms."

Elatus sighed. "I know, it will do no good to argue with you."

"Take that girl of yours out on a date," Haruka teased as he replaced his hood and gestured for them to leave.

Elatus blushed again, and Haruka laughed.

"My offer still stands," the blonde called seriously as they made their exit.

"Offer?" Michiru asked Pholus.

"To join our ranks," Pholus said lightly. "But he has his father to take care of, and his business."

"Oh," Michiru said. "The rest of you don't?"

Pholus shook his head sadly. "No. Most of us were driven out of business. And if it wasn't for Haruka and the rest of us, the few businesses that remain would be gone, as well."

"What did you do? Before all of this?"

"I didn't really have a profession. I was too young. Haruka and I both started when we were teenagers, having lost our parents at a young age. We were the first of our group."

"Oh. What happened?"

"My father was a soldier in your father's army. He was killed in a conquest. My mother couldn't take the loss and killed herself," Pholus said quietly.

Michiru was horrified. "I'm sorry!"

Pholus smiled gently at her. "Don't be sorry. Haruka found me shortly after. We've been together ever since."

"Together…?" Michiru questioned. Was Pholus gay?

"Not in the way you think," Pholus said quickly.

"How did Haruka start this whole thing? Did he lose his parents, too?"

Pholus laughed at her question, suddenly realizing the meaning behind Michiru's previous inquiry. "You'll have to ask _him_ yourself," he joked.

Michiru wondered what Pholus meant by that statement, and decided to change the subject. "Why did you lie about me, if Elatus is a trusted friend?"

"To protect him. The less he knows, the better off he is if this ends with all of us killed," he stated. Michiru was somewhat hurt by his statement, but she understood. "Not that that would stop your father's guards..." He frowned. Michiru decided not to ask any more questions, and she followed Pholus the rest of the way in silence. By the time they reached the cabin, it was early evening, and she was alarmed to find the remaining four bandits all dressed in their black cloaks and armed, waiting outside.

Asbolus met them as they approached, vibrating with energy. "The king has returned," he said excitedly to Haruka. "But his spoils are still on their way to the palace. They are being transported on the northern road."

Haruka nodded, snapping into action. He and Asbolus talked so quickly and in code that Michiru had trouble keeping up. "How many rooks?"

"About twenty. The royalty is gone."

"And the craters?"

"Five."

"When will they reach the palace?"

"In three hours' time. They're moving slowly- they're weighted down with mounts."

"Okay," Haruka said, letting his breath out slowly. "We all go. We can handle twenty but only if all of us are there." He looked at Michiru for a moment, frowning. "The girl goes with us. No other way. We leave in ten. This is a swift guerilla operation." He cast a glare at an unnamed bandit sporting a dark blue thin mustache, who smiled crookedly in response.

"Understood," the bandit said, amused.

Haruka nodded doubtfully and turned to Pholus. "She's yours again, Pholus. Keep her out of danger."

Pholus nodded, rolling his eyes. He turned to Michiru. "I know you're tired, but we're leaving again. We're not going far, and as long as you stick to the trees you should be safe."

"What's going on?" Michiru asked as the bandits moved quickly and expertly, gathering up weapon supplies. She followed in Pholus's wake, walking briskly to the cabin.

"Your father has returned to the palace, but the spoils he has accumulated from his latest conquest are still traveling there. We are going to attempt to raid the transports and capture some of those spoils." Pholus entered the cabin with Michiru on his heels. He walked to a table which was covered with various weapons, and picked up several tiny daggers, and set down the satchel they had acquired from the blacksmith.

"What's in there?"

"Arrowheads. Important, but not at this moment."

"Do I get a weapon?" Michiru asked.

Pholus stopped and looked at her, his hazel eyes searching hers. "Why?"

"To participate, I guess," Michiru mumbled.

Pholus chuckled. "Not this time. These are, after all, your father's transports."

Michiru said nothing, but she could not blame Pholus for not trusting her with a weapon.

They returned to the outside moments later and Michiru's eye caught Haruka standing in the center of the clearing. He looked beautiful, as he always did, but there was something very noble about him that Michiru could not attribute to a physical quality. The moonlight struck his hair and skin and made his eyes shine, and Michiru felt her heart ache in response to the sight. Haruka looked up and caught her gaze, and she felt weak all of a sudden. But just like that, he looked away and she noticed that he was armed with a long bow, and a quiver was strapped to his back.

He called out and, as if they rehearsed it, the seven bandits moved into formation. Again, she stuck near Pholus as they crept through the woods quickly but quietly. Michiru felt her heart pounding in excitement as they slowed, nearing the road. Pholus helped her climb a tree and then climbed it himself, and they waited in position for what seemed like endless hours. She could hear the steady clopping of the horses and the slight shrill creaking of wheels turning.

Pholus leaned in close to her and whispered, "Stay here, no matter what." She nodded in response and as the slow procession of carts and horses and guards moved past where they were hiding, she heard a shrill whistle, unlike the sounds coming from below them. Instantly, many arrows crisscrossed across the road. It took a moment for Michiru to notice that there were ropes attached to them, and they effectively blocked the path, preventing escape, at least on horseback. A second whistle, and more rope-arrows crisscrossed where the guards were standing, now making it hard to move at all. By the third whistle the bandits were dropping from the trees and quickly disarming the guards without killing them. Some were necessarily wounded, but Michiru found it was only in self defense. She watched in fascination as the bandits quickly overcame all of the guards surrounding the transports, tying them up or knocking them unconscious.

The mustached bandit made urgent hand signals to Haruka, who calmly signed signals back. They could not afford talking- their voice was an identifying feature that the guards could not be allowed to detect.

Within minutes they had broken into the treasury transport, and each filled a rucksack with gold, while the others kept a tense lookout. Michiru noticed the sound of many hooves galloping towards them from a distance just as the bandits were finishing up. Half of them had already taken off in different directions, each loaded down with a sack of gold, including Pholus. The only two left were Haruka and the mustached bandit, and they both disappeared.

Michiru felt her heartbeat quickening- had they forgotten about her? She remembered Pholus's words to stay put, and didn't risk calling out, in fear that her enemies would notice her instead. She stayed silent.

On the other hand, this was her chance to escape- these were her father's guards, after all. She was shocked that she had come to think of them as her enemies, and that she feared capture by them above anything else. She was surprised to realize- she had changed, perhaps without knowing it.

Just as she resolved to settle into her tree and remain as obscured as possible, strong arms surrounded her slender waist. Before she could cry out in surprise, however, a soft hand was placed over her mouth and familiar emerald eyes stared back at her. She relaxed slightly as Haruka's scent and close proximity assailed her senses, and within seconds, the blonde bandit had lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, surprised at how close he was. He shifted her weight to his left arm and jumped from the tree, catching a lower branch from a neighboring one with his right arm and swinging down to the forest floor. He centered her weight with both arms again and swiftly dashed into the forest, Michiru's heartbeat pounding in her chest at his nearness. She was overwhelmed at the amount of emotion she was feeling at being in his arms, pressed against him, but even still, she noticed that his chest wasn't the chiseled muscle she thought it would be. It was soft, and, she felt, comforting. She remembered Pholus's joking comment from before, and suddenly wondered at Haruka's true identity- the feminine grace, the soft hands, it all made sense. She dismissed it- whoever Haruka was, it didn't matter- she enjoyed this moment.

They were silent, and took a longer route to the cabin, Haruka stopping every so often to determine if they were being followed. Once they reached the cabin, Michiru noticed that Haruka was only slightly out of breath, even with carrying her the entire way, and they carefully slinked inside, avoiding detection.

Once inside, Haruka set her gently to her feet and escorted her to her room. Still silent, Haruka turned to leave but Michiru stopped him with her words.

"Why do you do it?"

Haruka turned, seemingly surprised at the question. They were silent for a long moment. Michiru noticed the conflict and emotion in Haruka's green eyes as he struggled to answer.

Finally, he spoke. "Someone has to," he said. "My parents were killed by your father's ruthlessness. I lost them at a young age. It was then that I decided that something had to be done. I found Pholus and we decided to do something to bring about change for our village and the people we cared about. We don't want to become what we are fighting against, and we realize that in doing so, we may be caught and killed. But if we can get through to someone- anyone- about what's happening, isn't that worth it?"

He looked meaningfully at her, and Michiru could not respond. They stared at each other for a few moments and then Haruka left.

Michiru sat on the bed, knowing that she was the 'anyone' that Haruka was referring to. But what could she possibly do to stop her father?

* * *

Okay, this chapter's finally done! :D

Sorry that took forever, but it's long enough, right? Now you see why this story will only be 5 chapters. 5 long chapters. 5 long, grueling chapters. 5 long, grueling, excruciating chapters... Haha, just kidding. Well… maybe. ;) This story grows more complicated every time I look at it. Which actually isn't that often. LOL

Next chapter will have a lot more action stuff in it. Which is a surprise, I know, after this chapter. Haruka won't stay a man forever- obviously. Michiru has already started to figure it out. So stay tuned for our next episode! :D

In any case, review if you want to. And if you don't, don't. (no song pun intended...)

See you next time, pals. :)


	3. Part I: Loyalties

Okay, so after a long hiatus, I'm back, I guess. I wrote this pretty much a year ago, this chapter is extreeeeemely long, so I decided to bust a move and split it into 2 (that's right, count 'em) TWO parts, this obviously being the first one. I'm about 3/4ths of the way through the second part, so it should be up hopefully within a few weeks, maybe sooner if you're lucky. :)

Sailor Moon still isn't mine... drats.

And now, on with the show! :D

* * *

Michiru awoke very early the following morning to the sound of her stomach rumbling. This time, however, she immediately recognized her surroundings. She sat up groggily, feeling somewhat sore from her all-day excursion the previous day, and ran a hand through her shoulder-length aqua hair, pulling it off of her face. The smell of food cooking outside reached her nose and elicited another determined involuntary growl from her stomach. She quickly got out of bed, dressing in the clothes she wore the day before, and purposefully found her way downstairs and outside.

All of the bandits were in their usual positions around the clearing, but there was one noticeably huge difference to Michiru- they were no longer trying to hide their identities. She could plainly make out every one's face, hair, and features, which made her somewhat ill at ease. She caught eyes with Leko, who quickly averted his bright hazel ones and turned away. In fact, all of the bandits seemed to be staring at her guiltily, but when she attempted to catch their eye they would avoid hers. She hadn't taken two steps towards the small fire pit when Haruka, accompanied by Pholus, intercepted her, holding a plate of food.

"Here, you must be starving," Haruka muttered distractedly, handing Michiru the plate. Michiru took it hesitantly, not liking the way Pholus kept casting worried glances at his leader.

After a moment of uncomfortable hesitation, Haruka spoke again, flashing a winning smile. "Er, why don't we sit inside today?"

Michiru swallowed, feeling the adrenaline begin to invade her system. She was getting a bad feeling, and Haruka's placid behavior was contributing to it, but she nodded politely and allowed the two bandits to lead her inside.

They sat at one of the many small tables, Michiru on one side, Haruka and Pholus on the other side, staring at her as she ate. Her appetite suddenly gone despite her ravenous hunger moments before, Michiru set her fork down pointedly and caught Haruka's gaze. The blonde gave her a questioning glance, but Michiru was not fooled.

"All right, what is it?" Michiru said finally.

Haruka smiled calmly. "What's what?"

Michiru narrowed her eyes and looked at Pholus. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

Pholus shrugged and looked at Haruka. "Well..?"

Haruka sighed. "I suppose we can't hide the truth from her for very long."

"What are you talking about?" Michiru asked, feeling suddenly afraid, which made her angry. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as Haruka leaned forward, an intense expression on his features.

"Your father has refused to pay your ransom."

"Okay…" Michiru paused expectantly, allowing this information to sink in.

"There's more," Haruka continued. He took a deep breath and said, "He won't pay the ransom, and refuses to bargain with anyone, which we expected- but that leaves us the problem of what to do with you now."

"What do you mean?" Michiru asked carefully, not liking where this conversation was going. "What to do with me? Can't I just stay here?"

Haruka smiled sadly. "It's not that simple. We are a team; we function best if everyone is committed and skilled. We will ultimately fail if one of us is out of sync, or is a burden…" He trailed off, pausing to swallow nervously. _Or does not share the same views_ Haruka's somewhat accusing eyes seemed to convey. Michiru did not interject, but had a terrible feeling of dread at where the blonde was going with his explanation. Pholus placed his hand meaningfully on his friend's shoulder.

Haruka nodded in response. "Right, then… I should just say it." He looked into Michiru's deep blue eyes and the aqua-haired girl felt her stomach drop in fear.

"The general consensus is to kill you."

Michiru felt overwhelmed- she wanted to scream in anger, break out in tears, react violently, but all she could do was sit there, breathing, a nondescript expression on her face.

"Princess?" Haruka asked gently, reaching forward to place his hand on hers. Michiru moved her hand away and bowed her head, the anger beginning to rise in her system.

"Kill me?" she whispered. "Kill me?" she said again, louder now, through clenched teeth. She raised her head to cast an accusing glare at Haruka and Pholus. "I thought you bandits didn't kill people," she sneered, her tone becoming increasingly more vicious. "I thought you were better than your enemies, that you spared human life!"

"We do," Haruka said in a low, velvet tone, his anger building.

"So you say," she spat. "Your decisions show otherwise."

"Look, I don't like this decision-"

"Then change it!"

"It's not up to me-"

"But you have the final say!"

Haruka growled in frustration. "We _all_ made this decision in the beginning-"

"Wait a minute," Michiru interrupted again. She paused, turning her gaze from Haruka to Pholus and back. "You suspected my father would not pay the ransom?"

Haruka nodded, keeping his eyes steadily averted.

"So if you knew that he wouldn't pay, you must've had a plan in place before you kidnapped me, some idea of what to do with me…" She trailed off as the realization dawned on her. "Oh my god," she said, horrified.

Haruka let his breath out uneasily, and raised his eyes to Michiru's. "It was our last desperate attempt," he said feebly, looking like he hated being alive.

"You planned to kill me from the very start," Michiru accused, feeling overwhelmed with emotion again.

"We hoped there was a chance we didn't have to, if your father would've paid the ransom, or showed that he at least harbored some compassion towards his own kind, " Pholus interceded quietly, speaking for the first time. "But Chiron is predictably difficult, and we were almost sure he wouldn't…"

"I can't believe this," Michiru said in a small, devastated voice. She felt betrayed- she had grown to like the bandits she'd been spending her captive days with. Even despite the fact that they had shanghaied her from the comforts and safety of her home, they had proven to be likeable, trustworthy, and enjoyable company. They had opened her eyes to the horrors living behind the closed doors of her previous life. But now… she pictured Leko- how he had flirted jokingly with her but was never unfriendly; and Pholus, who had been nothing but open, understanding, and far better to her than she felt she deserved. They had both wanted to kill her? Both secretly plotting her death? It was too much to bear. She looked up accusingly, anger and sadness shining through in her blue eyes.

"How could you?"

Haruka stood up abruptly, startling Michiru with his sudden anger. "Do you think I like this decision?" he demanded, his palm striking the table fiercely. "Do you think I want you to die?" He paused, glaring. "How could _I_? How could _you_?" He hissed. "How could _you _sit by and let your murderous father destroy your country? Was it that easy for you?"

Michiru shut her eyes tightly, no longer able to keep her tears at bay. Haruka's words stung her- moreso because they were true.

"I bet it was," the blonde continued coldly. "I bet it was so easy for you to just

turn your pretty eyes away from the devastation the rest of us have been dealing with."

"Haruka," Pholus said softly.

The tall blonde bandit ran a hand through his hair in frustration, then sighed. "You have no idea the kind of desperation that was present for us to reach this kind of decision… how dare you sit there and judge us? You _enabled_ it!"

"You're right!" Michiru cried at last. "Everything you've said is true. I _didn't_ care! I _did_ do nothing! I allowed my father to continue his destruction and remained ignorant. I turned away. I probably deserve to die for those crimes, but…" she drew in a shuddering breath, "if I'm dead I can never make up for those mistakes."

Haruka was silent for a moment. He knelt down and caught Michiru's watery gaze, staring hard into her eyes. "Do you hate us?" he asked softly.

Michiru shook her head, biting her lip to keep from crying further.

"It was a drastic decision," Haruka murmured, more to himself than to the aqua-haired girl. "But you're _not _dead- yet."

Michiru didn't answer; she was too overwhelmed with emotion. She felt stupid, betrayed and naïve for putting her faith in the bandits. She felt more tears coming on, threatening to fall, and she felt even lamer for crying in front of her captors, especially Haruka, who had been so much more harsh and critical of her than the others had been. Haruka, who was so breathtakingly beautiful, and- female, she now realized with absolute certainty, as the blonde's soft hand tenderly brought her chin up to look into striking green eyes and a tender expression.

"Princess," Haruka whispered pleadingly, reaching with her thumb to wipe away Michiru's tears, "I won't let you die."

Michiru, though still overwhelmed with sorrow, was thoroughly surprised. "My life has been wasted," she said in a barely audible voice.

"You have the power to change that," Haruka said gently.

Michiru looked up. "Why do you believe in me?"

Haruka smiled. "I don't."

Michiru found herself smiling as well, seeing through Haruka's joke. The sudden realization that Haruka believed in her made all of the blonde's past actions clear. She knew that kidnapping her was not about the ransom- they had plenty of other sources where they could have gotten money. She knew right down to Haruka bringing her along on the previous day's raid was all in the blonde's plan to change her heart. She began to wonder if even the bandits' decision to kill her was fabricated to help her reach the change she had just reached, but there was no way to be sure. She did not know Haruka well enough to determine how manipulative she was, but regardless, she knew her past life was over. Her new life was by the blonde bandit's side, helping to change the economy.

She blushed at the implications of her own thoughts. She simply meant that she would be fighting next to the blonde in camaraderie, not in a romantic sense. Wait, did she have feelings for the bandit? She stared, lost, into Haruka's eyes, butterflies going crazy in her stomach, making her realize that, yes, she did indeed have feelings. She felt herself blushing again at the realization. But… Haruka was…

Up close, Michiru wondered why she had never noticed the small features and clues that gave away Haruka's true gender. She was normally good about noticing things like the long eyelashes, the full lips, and the soft, silky skin. But, she reasoned, this was the first time Haruka had been so close to her, and she had been distracted by the bustle of previous events. The green of Haruka's eyes was vibrant and deep, and she stared at Haruka's face, as if looking at her for the first time- which she somewhat felt was true, at least, in regards to her gender.

Haruka smiled gently at her and pulled her hand away, as if noticing for the first time that it was on Michiru's face. "I will talk to the rest of my men," she murmured reassuringly. "Surely they will not feel the same now that they actually know you."

Michiru sniffled and nodded again, and Haruka grinned and looked at Pholus, who grinned back.

"I will go and gather a new consensus; Pholus, I trust you will be able to escort Michiru to our bathing facilities? She could stand a bath." Haruka winked.

Michiru smiled inwardly at the joke, but decided to try teasing. "It's not my fault these living conditions are not up to the standards of my previous residence," she huffed, turning her nose up into the air. Haruka laughed, but then turned serious.

In a low, sincere voice she said, "Thank you for giving us a way out." Then she smiled genuinely, and left, determined to keep her promise.

"Why don't you finish eating," Pholus suggested, "And then I'll escort you to bathe. It's going to take a while for Haruka to finish rallying some support of this decision." He chuckled slightly, but Michiru did not find the joke very amusing.

Wiping her eyes with her palm, a million questions running through her mind, Michiru stared hard at the young man before her. She wanted to ask Pholus if he had been in favor of killing, but wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. After all, even Haruka, who had sworn not to kill, had been at the end of her rope in her decision- a desperate action during a desperate situation.

No, she could not hate or blame any of them for their decision. But still, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know Pholus's answer. Her stomach felt queasy at the prospect of Haruka returning with the same verdict, but she shoved down her worries. She was truly starving, after all, and she would rather behave as if she were going to live for more than a few more precious hours.

She devoured her food with renewed vigor as Pholus watched on in amusement.

"We don't normally use this room as a bathing room," Pholus explained as he led Michiru into a small rectangular room. Like all of the other rooms in the structure she was staying at, it was poorly lit. The bandits obviously did not spend much time inside. "We normally bathe outside in the stream. But, since you are a lady, you may use this if you like. It offers more privacy."

Michiru was going to inquire about Haruka's bathing location, but decided against it. She was determined to fit in with the rest of the bandits, if only to prove that she was worth keeping alive- but she was not quite ready to take that step just yet. She eyed the large washtub in the corner of the room and nodded.

Pholus cleared his throat uneasily. "Well, I will leave you to it… I trust you can find the soaps?" As Michiru nodded again, he took a step towards the door, and then turned slightly. "When you are done, you may venture back to your room. There will be fresh clothes waiting. Once you reach your room, please wait there for Haruka. I won't escort you- prove yourself trustworthy, and do not attempt escape." He paused, and then continued in a low voice, "Escape is inevitable, but I do not know which one of us will be waiting to ambush you, should you try…" He gave her a significant look which Michiru understood. "I will make sure you are not disturbed." He turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Michiru undressed quietly, her thoughts keeping her company. She was not worried about being interrupted- she trusted Pholus completely, and was more than appreciative that he took such a risk in trusting her, as well. She wondered what each of the bandits would say- there were seven of them. She was absolutely sure Pholus and Haruka were in favor of keeping her alive. She hoped Leko would side with them, as well. That was three. She only needed one other bandit to change his mind in order to be spared her life.

However, on the other side, she knew Asbolus was determined to kill her. How many other bandits felt that way, she did not know, but she hoped it was not enough to seal her fate. She hummed lightly to distract herself from thinking about it, and finished her bath.

There was a clean towel and a robe waiting for her on a hook when she stepped out of the washtub. She hadn't noticed them earlier because she'd been too deep in her thoughts. She felt a sense of gratitude overcome her- these bandits barely had anything for themselves, but they were constantly going out of their way to make sure she had what she needed. She sighed, slipped on the robe which was exceptionally soft, even by her standards, and made her way to her room.

As promised, clothes were laid out on her bed when she arrived. She tried to take her time dressing, not sure how long she would be waiting and not wanting to be sitting around bored while she did. Once dressed, she dried and brushed her hair, tying it up with a clean ribbon. When she was finished she moved to sit on her bed and wait patiently.

She did not have to wait long before there was a rough knock at the door. She stood up to answer it but before she reached the door, it slammed open abruptly to reveal Asbolus, framed menacingly in the doorway. Michiru gasped in surprise and took an unsteady step back. Asbolus looked furious, his eyes alight with rage.

He took a step into the room and Michiru reached the edge of her bed, losing her balance slightly and ending up in a sprawled position. Asbolus's eyes never left hers. "You." The word came out of his mouth as a low, silky growl. He moved closer, his powerful frame illuminated by the lamp in Michiru's room. Michiru, truly frightened now, leaned back, subconsciously desperate to get as far away as possible.

Just as he took another step, a clear, familiar voice called, "Asbolus."

The angry, black-haired bandit growled. "Haruka."

"I understand how you feel. But-"

"You understand nothing," Asbolus growled, louder. He turned to confront Haruka, who was standing in the door frame. "She's a lying whore! Am I the only one who's not fooled by her deception?"

Haruka's eyes narrowed. "Leave. Do not make me say it again."

"You are not the leader-"

"When you joined this team you agreed to follow our code of conduct," Haruka growled, her tone turning increasingly more deadly. "If you would break that, than I would have no choice but to-"

"Understood!" Asbolus shouted suddenly, and with a last, murderous glare at Michiru, he stormed out of the room. Haruka did not move for a moment, watching him go and making sure the room was safe. Michiru noticed Haruka's hand move away from the hilt of her sword, and the tension slowly eased out of the room.

Haruka turned to her. "Sorry about that," she murmured.

Michiru swallowed, still unbelievably frightened. "It's okay," she said shakily.

Haruka smiled gently at her. "I take it you figured out that the new vote went in your favor?"

Michiru nodded absently. "Why does he want to kill me?"

Haruka sighed and entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Asbolus lost everything to your father's warmongering. His parents were caught in the crossfire of one of Chiron's assaults, and he has never forgiven your father for it. He has spent the past two years since their death planning nothing but revenge. The fact that you're Chiron's daughter seems like the perfect opportunity to fulfill that revenge." She shook her head bitterly. "He doesn't understand that it would accomplish nothing."

"But haven't all of you lost something because of my father?" Michiru asked, calming slightly with Haruka so near to her.

The blonde bandit nodded. "Yes, but it affects each of us differently- for Asbo, it has turned him bitter, cruel, and increasingly more bloodthirsty." She paused, then added thoughtfully, "The rest of us attempt to hold on to what humanity we have left."

Michiru looked up to meet Haruka's eyes, the meaning to Haruka's comment not lost. "Thank you," she said softly, sincerely, reaching out to grasp Haruka's hand. "You risked quarreling with your own men on my behalf."

Haruka smiled in the charming way that made Michiru's heart flutter. "You make it seem like a much more difficult task than it actually was in reality," Haruka joked, "as if we are all as eager for your blood as Asbo."

Michiru laughed. "I do not know all of you- how am I to determine whether you are eager for my blood or not?"

Haruka grinned and pulled Michiru suddenly to her feet. Michiru let out a small sound of surprise but Haruka's mischievous look made her curious. "Come on, then," the blonde encouraged, still holding Michiru's hand. "I suppose it's time you met them."

As they descended the stairs, Haruka paused at the bottom momentarily to face Michiru, a look of uncertainty falling on her handsome features. "Princess Michiru," she began hesitantly, and it was the first time the aqua-haired princess had seen the blonde drop her tough, commanding façade to be replaced with a hesitant, requesting one, "I am asking you a personal favor…"

Michiru nodded slightly, puzzled, but agreed. If she was going to fit in with the bandits, she had to give up her royal mentality. "I am yours to command, Haruka," she said lightly, offering a genuine smile.

The blonde found herself smiling back, but sadly. "If this ends badly- that is to say, if you decide to betray us-" Michiru tried to protest but Haruka held up her hand. "Please allow me to finish. If you decide to betray us, I am asking you not to hold my men accountable. If you feel you need someone to suffer the consequences, I will take full responsibility, gladly." Haruka paused to sigh. "You are about to learn their identities. I am taking a great risk and trusting you with this information because you are too valuable to simply kill." Haruka's words suddenly became enflamed with passion as she continued, "You are the one person who can help us bring about change. You have power that we do not, the influence to stop Chiron's madness."

Michiru shook her head to clear it. "Haruka, I am not certain that I am able to aid you in your cause," she started. "However, I promise to do all I _am_ able to do."

Haruka took her hand again and squeezed it gently. "That's all I can ask," she said softly. "I hope it will be enough. We don't want to be bandits forever, after all…"

Michiru chuckled softly, earning a wry smile from the bandit she had just pledged her loyalty to. Giving Michiru a meaningful gaze, Haruka turned and escorted her outside.

As the two exited the cabin, Michiru found the other five bandits waiting nervously. Asbolus was absent; Michiru attributed that to their earlier encounter, and did not miss his presence in the slightest. Her eyes immediately found Pholus and Leko, both of whom smiled at her welcomingly. She turned her gaze to the other three bandits, who were watching her uncertainly.

Haruka approached them and introduced them. "Michiru, you've met Pholus and Leko," she stated. The two bandits in reference nodded, and Michiru smiled at them in return.

"It's nice to see you again," she said, feeling rather silly but attempting to make the other three bandits feel more at ease.

"Likewise," Leko said with a flirty wink and Pholus rolled his eyes.

"I'm Tukk," one of the bandits said suddenly, holding out his hand. Michiru recognized the blue mustache and remembered him from the raid the day before. She reached out to grasp his hand and he smiled hesitantly, his gray eyes scrutinizing her. Tukk had chin-length blue hair which he wore back in a small, loose ponytail. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"For me as well," Michiru returned. She looked at the man next to Tukk, who had short, medium-length, wavy dark-green hair with a neatly trimmed patch of hair below his bottom lip. He bowed respectfully.

"Your highness," he said.

Michiru was about to tell him there was no need for the formality, but Leko moved behind him and shoved him forward with an exasperated, "Aw, knock it off!" Michiru gasped as she watched the green-haired man turn his fall into a recovery and was back on his feet, whirling to tackle Leko.

The two fought for a moment before Pholus leaned in. "That's Zephus," he told her.

"Is it common for them to behave like this?" Michiru asked, amused.

"It only happens a few times a day," Tukk answered with a grin.

"I'm just thankful she didn't witness _them_ first," Pholus said seriously. "She would have most definitely believed us to be barbarians." He turned his serious gaze to Michiru, who looked confused, until Haruka burst out laughing, which encouraged Tukk and Pholus to do the same.

"He's kidding, Michiru," Haruka chuckled. She gestured to the last bandit, who had very short, spiky purple hair. He looked extremely young, which surprised Michiru. "This is Xando," Haruka said, nodding at the youthful boy. Xando nodded in acknowledgement of Michiru, but did not speak. He stared at her with piercing blue eyes, and Michiru felt a little intimidated despite his age.

"He doesn't talk much," Pholus said. Then, in a stage whisper, he said, "It helps him win over the ladies. They think he's smart until he opens his mouth."

Michiru noticed the slightest smile appear on Xando's face, which led her to believe that the boy was not completely serious- perhaps he was just shy.

Zephus and Leko had returned from their skirmish, and Zephus was bowing again respectfully. "I apologize that I did not get to properly introduce myself, your majesty," he panted. He reached for Michiru's hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it.

Michiru laughed. "It's quite all right. Zephus, is it?"

The man nodded, his violet eyes sparkling with delight. "I am pleased you know my name," he said, straightening and giving a sly, smug look to Leko.

"Oh, for the love of-" Leko started, but Michiru interrupted with, "It's a pleasure to know that not all bandits have forgotten how to be proper gentlemen." She flashed a sweet smile.

Leko's mouth fell open and he dropped into a hasty bow. "Your majesty, we were never _formally_ introduced!"

Pholus hit his fist on the top of Leko's head. "You make me sick, you know that?"

* * *

Over the next few days, Michiru observed her new comrades with amusement. She was thankful she had been wrong in her early assessment of these men as tyrants. Now that she had been introduced, she began to see them more fully as people with personalities, hopes and dreams, instead of as expendable barbarians. Each of them was friendly, courteous, and helpful to her as she assimilated into their lifestyle. She was shifted to a new task each day, learning the different busywork activities that the bandits engaged in on their quiet evenings. She caught on quickly and swiftly became skilled in the makings of arrows, the sharpening of blades, the mending of clothes and other tasks.

Pholus spent time with her every day to develop her fighting skills, and he was impressed at her rapid improvement from one session to the next. She could now nearly match his own skill with a blade. Michiru enjoyed her lessons with Pholus, but enjoyed her time with Haruka more. The blonde was the best archer in the group, which made her the best in the kingdom. After much begging, she had finally relented to teach Michiru the basics of archery, and the two would spend an hour or so every morning working on it.

Michiru's first week as a bandit began her routine; she spent her early mornings with Haruka learning how to use a bow, and her days accompanying the bandits on small raids or missions to steal desired objects for certain clients. Her evenings were spent learning busywork with a different bandit, and her nights were spent alone or talking to Pholus about his adventures. She wanted to ask about Haruka, but she was afraid of what Pholus might think of her inquiry.

She was finding herself more and more attracted to the blonde bandit, looking forward to the small amount of time they had together. Haruka did not waste time on conversation and stuck to the task at hand, which left Michiru burning with curiousity about Haruka's history. She wanted to know everything about her, but was unable to find an opportunity to talk to her.

* * *

She was awakened so early one morning that it was still night. Leko was standing next to her bed, gently rousing her. She opened her blue eyes and met his gentle hazel ones, somewhat surprised but not threatened.

"What's going on?" she asked sleepily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She combed a hand through her sleep-tousled hair, yawning.

"We are leaving soon, for a few days," he said softly. "Gather your things and meet us downstairs in twenty." He turned and left the room.

Michiru got out of bed groggily, and set about her morning routine. She washed her face, tied up her hair, got dressed and slung some personal items and spare clothes into her travel bag which she had acquired over the course of her week. She paused for a moment to reflect in the mirror at her new life.

She had changed drastically in such a short time. She had gone from being pampered and naïve, enjoying an easy life where everything was handed to her, to having to work as a team, fighting for her own life and her comrades' every day, without the comforts she had known for her entire existence. But despite the obvious downturn from her cushy lifestyle to her less-than-perfect stay, she knew she could never go back to that life of ignorance. She could never turn a blind eye to her father again. Her eyes had been opened and even though it was harder, she would stick it out with her bandits until the goal they were fighting for was achieved.

She grabbed her satchel and her black hooded cloak and dashed out of her room and down the stairs, finding the rest of her team waiting for her.

Haruka welcomed her at the foot of the stairs. "Michiru," she greeted with a smile and a nod. Then she turned serious. "We will be taking horses today," she explained. "We have a long way to travel."

"Where are we going?" The aqua-haired girl questioned as she slid her cloak on around her shoulders. She noticed Haruka had already slung her quiver strap across her chest.

"Do you remember the kingdom your father raided a while ago?" the blonde asked. At Michiru's nod, Haruka continued. "We are traveling there. The kingdom is on the verge of collapse from rebellion, and is being overthrown. As if to make things worse, the bandits of that territory have overrun many of the businesses there… it will be very dangerous."

Pholus sighed and laughed nervously. "So of course that means Haruka is first in line to go there."

Michiru laughed, too, and smiled. "Where you lead, I follow," she said determinedly, and Haruka rolled her eyes.

"I'm beginning to wish I had just killed you," she joked, but at Michiru's semi-hurt expression she softened. "I'm only teasing," she said seriously. She placed a gentle hand on Michiru's shoulder and smiled encouragingly, reaching for Michiru's hand with her free one. "Your loyalty is admirable," she stated softly, so softly that Michiru leaned closer to hear, "but you flatter me- I am truly undeserving of your formalities."

Michiru noticed that they were only a few inches apart, the closest they had been in days. Their foreheads were almost touching and she lowered her eyes to their clasped hands. She stroked the back of Haruka's hand softly with her thumb. "My loyalty is unwavering," Michiru mumbled softly, the intensity and cadence of her voice making Haruka swallow, "but it is of my choosing who is deserving of it." She looked up into Haruka's eyes, her blue eyes reflecting the utmost devotion. She smiled teasingly. "Is my loyalty troublesome?"

Haruka faltered for a mere second before she recovered with a charming smile. "Let us hope not. However, I will be sure to inform you when it becomes so." The blonde released her hand and turned, gathering up her bow. Some of the other bandits made very low catcalls and teasing noises, to which Haruka responded with threatening glares, and Michiru felt herself blushing slightly. Haruka spoke to Michiru over her shoulder. "I hope you do not mind riding double with Pholus."

Michiru nodded in acceptance, but was secretly disappointed. Although she cared for Pholus, she had hoped she could ride with Haruka. Of course, Haruka had to lead them and could not be bothered with a second rider, but it still did not ease Michiru's disappointment.

"Haruka," Pholus started. "I hate to break it to your thick skull, but Athena is still recovering from her injury on the last raid. She can barely carry my weight safely, and being bogged down with spoils will be nearly impossible for her to handle. Might Michiru ride with you, or Leko..?"

Haruka sighed, and Michiru's heart skipped a beat with hope.

"Not with me," Leko said, "Although I do regret it." He winked at her again and Michiru placed a hand on her heart and laughed. "Aphrodite is carrying the provisions, remember?"

Haruka raised an eyebrow in annoyance. "I suppose everyone's horse is already committed to carrying something else… everyone's but mine."

"Well, you're the one who planned it that way," Pholus joked. "You're the 'front man,' after all."

Haruka sighed again and turned to Michiru. "I guess you'll have to ride with me, then."

Michiru forced a smile, even though she was hurt by Haruka's lack of enthusiasm about riding together. "Don't look so disappointed," she said, only half-joking. Haruka gave her a serious look, and then gestured for them to move out.

Pholus waited for a moment by Michiru's side until everyone had cleared. "Don't take it personal," he said softly.

"Why is she acting like that?" Michiru asked, turning to look at Pholus.

Pholus smiled gently at her. "She's had to deal with some slight criticism from the guys about you in the past. They think she has a soft spot for you," he laughed. "I can't imagine why, though…" He gave her a pointed look.

Michiru nodded thoughtfully. "So she has to avoid looking like she gives me preferential treatment," she concluded.

"Exactly."

The ride was uneventful. Michiru rode sidesaddle, since she was in a skirt, her hands loosely placed on Haruka's slender, toned waist. The blonde's close proximity gave Michiru a contradictory feeling of soothing calm and nervous excitement, but despite her hopes for a conversation, their journey was quiet. There were frequent stops to hydrate their horses, and to eat, and they arrived at their destination just as the sun was setting, tired and weary from traveling.

They arrived at a tavern, and Michiru noticed the pillars of smoke that signified many fires in the distance. The sky was tinged an angry reddish orange and the sounds of bells and numerous other sirens, piercing and loud upon their arrival, were beginning to dissipate, swallowed by the fall of twilight.

Haruka slid gracefully from her horse, which Michiru had learned was named Orpheus. It was the only thing she had thought to attempt to ask the blonde, but after she received the answer, conversation had been stalled due to the sudden quickening of the pace of their journey. When they slowed back down to a trot Michiru's thoughts had gone elsewhere, and before long they had reached their destination.

Michiru dismounted as well, lacking in as much grace only because of her deficient experience. Zephus took Orpheus's reins and lead the charcoal horse around to the tavern's stable. Michiru had learned that his job before becoming a bandit was as a stable hand, and that he was glad to be able to continue in his work, at least partially, as a bandit.

Out of habit, all of the bandits, once dismounted, placed their hoods up, obscuring their features. Michiru did likewise, and then fell into step beside Leko, who followed Haruka inside the tavern.

They rented rooms for the evening. In the morning they would be moving on to get what they came for. Michiru was still uncertain as to what it was they wanted, but she did not really care. It was some trinket, some possession. It was always something of great value, and if they had traveled so far to obtain the object it must be extremely precious to whomever they were charged to obtain it for.

Michiru retired up to her room, exhausted from the early start to her day and from the traveling. The room was a lot more accommodating than her room with the bandits back home. This kingdom had been very rich before her father had destroyed it. The thought made her angry and sad at the same time. Because of her father, another place was experiencing the terror and pain of a crumbling government. And if she knew her father, he was already planning his next attack.

She sighed and moved to sit at a vanity. Looking into the mirror, she untied the ribbon from her hair, noticing not for the first time how ragged it had become without the expensive shampoos and pampering treatment it usually received. She pulled her brush from her satchel and began to comb it out when she heard a soft knock on her door.

"Come in," she called, watching the reflection of the door opening in her mirror. Teal eyes met hers and she felt her heart skip a beat as Haruka closed the door and moved so she was only a few steps behind her.

Michiru did not turn, but kept her eyes trained on Haruka's in the mirror, continuing to brush her hair. Haruka offered her a faint smile, and Michiru returned it cautiously. Haruka sighed.

"I'm sorry," the blonde said finally. Michiru's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"For what?" she asked.

"I'm sure my hostility has not gone unnoticed by you," Haruka murmured, to which Michiru shrugged delicately in response.

"I understand why," Michiru said softly, absently fingering her aqua locks and averting her eyes to the top of the vanity table she was seated at.

"That does not make it acceptable," Haruka said sheepishly. She reached up to run a hand through her tousled hair nervously, and Michiru's heart fluttered involuntarily in response. The blonde took a step closer and Michiru's heart pounded even harder- so hard that she wondered if Haruka could hear it.

"Michiru," Haruka continued in her low, velvety voice, "I have something for you."

Michiru lifted her head up in surprise at the statement, her eyes once again meeting Haruka's, which were shining with mischief. The blonde lifted a small item which Michiru had not noticed she had been carrying, and placed it on the vanity table. Haruka then watched her in the mirror, smiling slightly. Michiru lifted the object- whatever it was it was wrapped in rough canvas and startlingly heavy for its size. The aqua-haired girl unfolded it curiously to reveal a small knife, not unlike the one Haruka had thrown at her during their first encounter.

She looked up again, startled, and Haruka smiled even wider at her. Haruka reached around her and Michiru noticed that she was holding her own knife. Michiru unsheathed the gift to examine the blade, and when held next to Haruka's, the two knives mirrored each other in design, with only subtle differences. Haruka's was heavier with a thicker handle, and had an intricate carving of the symbols for the god Uranus in the metal hilt. At Michiru's questioning look, Haruka smiled in embarrassment. "I'm told he's supposed to be my ruling astrological deity," she said awkwardly. "I don't normally believe in that sort of thing, but I figured it couldn't hurt." She shrugged. "Besides, the designs looked interesting."

Michiru smiled in amusement and examined her knife's hilt. It was exactly like Haruka's only with carved symbols for Neptune, and was sized a little more suited to her hand. She raised her eyebrow skeptically and Haruka laughed nervously. "Isn't Neptune your deity?"

Michiru tilted her head curiously. "Yes, but how could you possibly know that?"

Haruka looked relieved. "Xando is into all that astrological garbage," she explained. "He was able to guess based on some personal traits."

Michiru looked surprised but smiled genuinely. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Haruka grew serious as she put away her knife. "This means you're a true bandit," she said. "We all have one of these knives."

Touched, Michiru sheathed her new knife and set it down on the table. She stood and turned to face Haruka, forgetting that the blonde was standing right behind her. They were a mere inch apart for a moment before Haruka hesitantly stepped back, putting space between them.

At that moment, Michiru felt inclined to hug the blonde in gratitude for all she had done for her. No other person had had such a dramatic and important influence in her life. She had changed so much she was nearly a completely different person than she was a week ago, and it had all been thanks to Haruka.

She stood there for a moment, hesitantly trying to decide what to do before Haruka broke the silence. "Sleep well," she said softly. "I'll wake you in the morning."

Michiru nodded, hoping her eyes conveyed the immense appreciation she felt. She watched as Haruka slipped out of the room swiftly and silently, and she turned back to the vanity, her gaze falling upon the knife she had received. She picked it up and admired it once again, smiling to herself.

She imagined her father's reaction if he ever found out- she was now, officially, an outlaw.

* * *

Her sleep was interrupted halfway through the night by a deep feeling of uneasiness. She wasn't sure what it meant or where it came from, but it appeared so suddenly that she was wide awake and unable to return to sleep. She got out of bed and dressed quietly, wondering at the time. Stepping out of her room to search for something to occupy her time with, she was startled by the absolute silence gracing the tavern. She caught sight of a cloaked silhouette standing near the upstairs lobby balcony, and softly padded over to where the figure stood.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Michiru was surprised to hear Haruka's low voice, casually addressing her. She was also impressed at the blonde's ability to determine that she was coming up behind her. She smiled slightly and nodded as she moved beside the tall bandit.

"I felt uneasy."

Haruka nodded in understanding and then inclined her head towards a plume of smoke rising in the distance. "It's fresh. The fires are growing worse." Haruka looked troubled, and Michiru only remained silent, contemplating the blonde bandit's words. "Very soon a party will seize control of this place." Michiru watched as Haruka's expression darkened considerably. The blonde turned to her suddenly as if just noticing her presence, and grabbed her arm painfully tight. "Where is your cloak?"

Michiru cringed slightly and looked over her shoulder, back towards her room. Haruka softened and released her arm, letting out a controlled breath. "Please do not leave your room without it. It's not safe." Michiru nodded, and Haruka relaxed a little. "I think you should return to your quarters. I'll escort you, if you'd like."

Michiru smiled genuinely. "That won't be necessary," she said lightly.

Haruka looked skeptical, but nodded in agreement. "Make haste," she growled softly, affectionately, and Michiru smiled again as she turned and silently made her way back to her room. As she reached to open the door to her room, she was overcome with the uneasy feeling again, and she hesitated. She swallowed, and, deciding she was being silly, opened the door and stepped into her room.

Once inside the room, however, she discovered it was not as she left it. The lamp she had left burning was out, though she was absolutely certain there had been enough oil to last. She heard a creak behind her and, sensing a presence, turned to confront whoever it was.

She attempted to scream but the stranger's hand reached to cover her mouth, backing her up against the wall. Her back slammed into it, hard, startling her. The figure was wearing a hooded cloak which, in the darkness, completely obscured all of his features, but as her thoughts raced with an attempt to come up with a course of action, she recognized the familiar, sinister laugh of Asbolus close to her ear.

"Surprise," he whispered, his lips brushing her jaw. He paused to inhale her scent and she struggled, shoving at him, until she felt something cold and sharp pressed to her throat. "Don't make me use this," the dark-haired bandit growled. Michiru shivered in fear as Asbolus forcefully guided her over to the bed, pushing her down, his hand still pressed tightly to her mouth. She attempted to bite his palm but he was pushing against her so hard that she could barely move her mouth. She glared at him, unable to see him in the pitch blackness. She heard another movement and realized Asbolus was not alone in the room.

"You didn't think I would attempt to take on Haruka alone, did you?" Asbolus asked mockingly in a low voice. "The bandits of this territory were more than eager to seek revenge on the king who destroyed their country… and you, my pretty whore, are the first step in achieving it."

Michiru struggled violently but Asbolus pressed the knife harder to her neck, drawing a thin line of blood. "I don't want to kill you… yet. But you may leave me with no choice," he growled menacingly.

Michiru struggled again. She would rather die than allow Asbolus to have what she thought he had in mind. Just as she resigned herself to make one last struggle which would surely bring about her death, she clearly heard two simultaneous sounds- the door to her room slamming open, and an arrow burying itself in flesh.

Asbolus cried out in rage and pain, but it was too dark for Michiru to see where he had been hit. She hoped she knew who had released the arrow, and her suspicions were correct as Haruka's strong, confident voice broke through the fear she had felt.

"The next one kills, Asbo."

Asbolus laughed. "You won't kill me, Haruka."

Haruka knocked another arrow with lightning speed, but hesitated for a split second. That single moment was all Asbolus needed to charge forward and attack. He grabbed Haruka's bow, knocking the arrow to the ground, and pushed it back into her, forcing her back into the opposite wall. The bow slammed into Haruka's chest, knocking the wind out of her, and she slid to the floor, the bow clattering to the ground. Clutching his knife in one hand, Asbolus drew his sword with his other, swinging it in a neat arc towards Haruka, who rolled to the side just as the blade came down. As she rolled, she jutted her legs out to entangle them with Asbolus's, making the dark-haired man lose his footing. He fell forward, and Haruka recovered to her feet, drawing her sword in one deft movement. As Asbolus quickly regained his own stance, the two began to fight swiftly, their swords clanging loudly in the darkness.

Michiru's eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could just barely make out the movements of Haruka and Asbolus in the sliver of moonlight illuminating their silhouettes and glinting off of their whirling blades. She noticed the other figure in the room move in on Haruka, blade flashing, and she sought to call out, but found there was no need- in a graceful, skilled movement, Haruka had drawn her knife with her free hand and blocked the advancing bandit's blow while parrying Asbolus's thrust. Michiru gasped in astonishment as Haruka continued to counter and block the two enemy bandits with ease.

"Michiru," Haruka called in between blows, "please relocate."

Michiru did not need to be told twice. She flew off of her bed and out into the hall, where she was surprised to find that the other bandits in her band were also fighting.

She spied Pholus struggling with a large figure wielding a double-bladed axe. They were hemmed in by the hallway, but the axe was making short work of the walls, and Pholus was having a hard time dodging the wooden projectiles caused by the flailing weapon. To Michiru's relief, Xando appeared, armed with a metal staff, and within moments he and Pholus had disabled the larger bandit, who hit the ground and laid sprawled across the floor unconscious. Pholus's eyes met Michiru's and he crossed to her, worried. Xando sprinted away to help one of the other bandits, leaving the two in the hall alone.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concern highlighting his features.

"Yes, but Haruka is still fighting Asbolus," Michiru told him urgently. Pholus nodded and made as if to move towards the source of the fight, but it was just then that Asbolus flew backwards through the doorway of Michiru's room, hitting the edge of the doorframe which knocked him off balance. He teetered for a moment, but Haruka did not give him a chance to recover. She kicked him in the chest which sent him flying back down the hall, landing on the floor at Pholus's feet. Michiru jumped back and Pholus moved in front of her.

"Are you okay, Haruka?" he asked casually.

Haruka nodded silently, her face a stony, cold mask. "Please escort Michiru elsewhere."

"But-" Michiru protested, but as Haruka turned to give her a sharp glare, Asbolus sprang to his feet and swung his sword angrily.

Haruka met him head on, growling. "_Now_, Michiru."

Michiru still seemed reluctant but Pholus put an arm around her and guided her away firmly. They paused a short distance away as Pholus was confronted by another enemy bandit. They were close enough that Michiru could still hear Haruka and Asbolus's heated conversation.

"How can you protect her?" Asbolus was screaming. "She's _Chiron's daughter_!"

Michiru heard the clanging of blades again as Haruka responded coolly.

"She can't help her parentage any more than you can."

Another clash of metal.

"She must die! It's the only way to strike at Chiron!"

Michiru cringed as she heard what sounded like a blade clattering to the ground. She hoped it was Asbolus's.

"But at_ what cost_? We would lose the chance to ever be free of him!"

An angry growl, from Asbolus. Sounds of a fist fight. Michiru closed her eyes, concentrating. She prayed Haruka was okay as she heard a particularly loud blow and a thud that sounded similar to a body hitting the floor.

"You are too idealistic," Asbolus snarled. "Too unwilling to get your hands dirty."

She heard metal on metal and realized that the discarded weapons had been recovered. Pholus had won his battle but Michiru was too focused on the fight in the other room to notice until he reached her.

"Come," he said gently.

Michiru nodded absently, hearing Haruka's faint, angry reply as she made her way to the exit.

"Why can't you understand that this opportunity is far too great to waste?"

The last she heard of the confrontation was Asbolus's painful scream.

Michiru waited for a few moments as the bandits gathered outside. Their horses had been untouched during the attack, thankfully. Zephus looked relieved and set about gearing them up for travel. The other bandits were quickly gathering their unconscious opponents and tying them up. Xando was conversing with the hysterical tavern owner in another language. Pholus did not leave her side, and cast her worried glances every few moments.

"Are you sure you're fine?" he asked her again. Michiru had lost track of how many times he'd asked, and stood looking around in a daze.

"Yes," she reassured. "I promise you there was no damage done to me." She sighed. "Where is Haruka?" She felt vulnerable for asking but she couldn't hold in her worry any longer. Pholus turned towards the tavern doors, nodding.

"I'm here," the blonde said, leaning casually against the outside wall of the tavern.

Michiru sighed in relief and was surprised that she did not notice Haruka exit the tavern. Then, as a second thought, she scanned the blonde's body for signs of damage. Haruka did not appear to have suffered any immediate injury as far as she could tell, other than a small superficial cut to her right bicep. Her blue eyes met Haruka's dark green ones, and she smiled gently, slowly making her way over to the bandit.

She reached out and gently, hesitantly touched Haruka's injured arm, examining the wound carefully. She was silent, but then her gaze met Haruka's and she felt guilty. "Does it hurt much?" she murmured, averting her eyes to the gash in the bandit's arm. At the blonde's head shake, she bit her bottom lip worriedly. "You must take care of this as soon as possible, it could get infected."

Haruka laughed lightly, the sound sending a jolt of electricity down Michiru's spine. "Don't fuss, I will be fine." The blonde's amusement shifted to concern and Michiru gasped as she felt Haruka's fingertips on her neck. The bandit gently grazed her fingers across the shallow red line left by Asbolus's knife. "He hurt you," she stated seriously, her voice filled with concern that made the aqua-haired girl's insides melt.

Michiru did not speak, but she lifted her head again to stare into Haruka's green eyes. They stood that way for a few long, intense moments before Michiru felt a blush creeping onto her face and she lowered her head again, allowing her bangs to mask her face.

"I suppose I should thank you once again," Michiru said coyly, her eyes averted to the ground between them.

"It seems as though that's all you do these days," Haruka teased, smirking.

Michiru grew serious as she suddenly remembered the last moments she heard of Haruka's fight. "What happened to Asbolus?" she asked carefully.

Haruka frowned. "He won't be bothering us anymore," she said in a low voice.

Michiru gave Haruka a worried look, but she heard a scream come from her right and turned to see the traitor in reference being forced out of the tavern by Xando and Tukk. He was limping from a severe, hastily-treated leg wound and his hands were bound securely behind his back. Blood poured from a wound in his left shoulder blade, where Haruka's arrow had landed. Xando and Tukk dropped him mercilessly on the ground and he cried out in pain from the impact.

Haruka's expression darkened. "Excuse me," she mumbled to Michiru, and pushed off of the wall to cross to where Asbolus lay, panting and enraged.

Haruka crouched to look Asbolus in the eye. The two glared at each other for a moment before the blonde spoke. "I'd sooner kill you myself, but you know I would never become you."

"Fancy talk, Haruka," Asbolus wheezed, blood trailing down the corner of his mouth. "Leaving me here is the same as sentencing me to death. You know what they will do to me."

Haruka nodded, her eyes icing over. She smiled coldly, the expression making Asbolus freeze momentarily. "Yes, I do. But you see- I'm still unwilling to get my own hands dirty. Whatever happens after I leave you here is no longer my problem."

Asbolus did not reply, only laughed bitterly. "Coward."

Haruka stood up, returning to her full height. She glared down at the fallen former member of her team and shook her head. "I am not afraid to kill you, Asbo- I simply think that would be too nice a death for you." She turned to the rest of her team. "We're leaving in five."

The other bandits nodded and began to saddle up.

Haruka turned and pulled Zephus aside. "Loki?"

Zephus nodded. "I'll take care of him."

"Take Tukk with you."

"Will do." Zephus looked at Michiru, then turned back to Haruka. "Persephone can carry her. She's gentle."

Haruka looked doubtful, but nodded, and Zephus made his way to the stables.

Michiru waited patiently for an explanation, giving Haruka her best curious look. Haruka sighed, running a hand through her hair and completely taking no notice of Michiru's intent questioning gaze. Finally Michiru, exasperated, asked, "What was that about?"

Haruka looked up, startled. "What?"

Michiru sighed. "Who's Loki?"

Haruka shook her head in amusement, a half grin playing on her lips. "Loki is Asbolus's horse. Zephus is going to sell him. In the meantime, you can ride Zephus's horse, Persephone. You do know how to ride, don't you?" At Michiru's nod, she added, "I hope it's better than the way you do dishes."

Michiru made an offended sound, but she was smiling at Haruka's affectionate teasing. Zephus led Persephone to Michiru and told her some basic tips on how to handle her as the other bandits mounted their horses, which stood snorting and tossing their heads. Michiru thanked Zephus, who smiled and did a small bow. Leko made a rude noise and Zephus glared at him before moving to mount Loki. Loki protested as Zephus climbed into the saddle, but the green-haired man quickly got the fussy horse under control and he galloped off with Tukk flanking him.

Michiru took a deep breath and hoisted herself onto Persephone's back. The tan horse tossed her head as if to say hello, and Michiru patted her shoulder. Then she looked up and caught Haruka's curious green eyes. The blonde had already mounted Orpheus and had nudged him into position to stand near Persophone. Michiru smiled encouragingly, grasping the reins tightly in her hands.

Haruka raised her eyebrows in surprise, but smiled skeptically. "Flank Pholus's right," she said in a commanding tone which made Michiru's heart swell with pride. She felt like a full-fledged bandit, even though she was riding Zephus's gentle horse. She nodded with determination and tenderly guided Persephone up next to Pholus's horse, Athena.

At Haruka's signal, the bandits took off, and Michiru found she had no difficulty adjusting to the shifts in their formation. She still had no idea where they were going, but she was enjoying the wind in her face. The sun had started to come up as they left, giving the landscape a beautiful glow as the rays of the sun lit up its edges, warming the air and erasing the slight chill left over from the night. Even despite the scary situations she had found herself in, with Asbolus gone, she finally felt like she could start to enjoy her new life.

The sun was high in the sky when they reached their destination, which was another tavern. Haruka claimed it was because they needed rest, and they were meeting their contact there. Michiru dismounted and was surprised to find that Zephus and Tukk were already there. Zephus questioned her on her ride, and at her positive responses, beamed at his horse and led Persephone away to the stable. Michiru quickly found her room and collapsed in an exhausted heap on the bed, where she remained for the rest of the day.

* * *

The smell of food was what awoke her that night, and Michiru was more than willing to answer the call of her stomach. She went downstairs groggily and discovered the bandits seated around a rectangular table in the dining room. They teased her when she came in, laughing and joking about her sleepy demeanor.

Michiru sat down gingerly next to Pholus and reached for a plate of food from the center of the table.

"How did you sleep?" the brown-haired man asked.

"Like a stone," Michiru answered. Pholus laughed softly.

"You had a rough night, you're entitled. Haruka didn't want to wake you."

Michiru looked up, noticing that Haruka wasn't present at the table. "Where is she?"

"She's resting- she and Leko just got back from the raid."

Michiru stared at Pholus incredulously. "She went with Leko? Alone?"

Pholus shrugged. "We all went at some point, all of us except for Zephus and you."

Michiru looked hurt. "You didn't wake me?"

Pholus smiled again. "Don't look like that- I told you, Haruka didn't want to bother you after the night you had."

"You guys had it worse than I did!" she protested. She was a lot more upset than Pholus thought she was. She had believed that she was a real bandit, a real part of the team, and yet, the others didn't even invite her on the mission.

"I apologize, Princess," Pholu stated lowly. "Haruka had her reasons for not bringing you. You will just have to ask her what they were."

"I will do just that."

Pholus took a bite out of his dinner roll. "After you eat you can bring her dinner." He winked at her, causing the aqua-haired girl to blush slightly.

* * *

Michiru paused outside of Haruka's room holding a tray of food for the blonde. She took a deep, calming breath and gently knocked on the door. Haruka's muffled response from inside encouraged her to open it, and she stepped in, balancing the tray on one hand and closing the door with the other. Her eyes fell upon Haruka, who sat up as she entered the room. The blonde was dressed in a loose, white, sleeveless tunic and navy pants and looked surprised to see her.

"Michiru," she murmured, gesturing for the girl to come closer. She smiled cautiously. "I was expecting Pholus."

Michiru swallowed her reply, stepping forward and placing the tray on the bed near the blonde.

Haruka searched Michiru's face, trying to catch her gaze, but the aqua-haired girl had her eyes averted carefully. Haruka frowned. "I suppose you are upset with me."

Michiru looked up, her eyes betraying the neutral expression she'd been displaying. "Yes," she said monotonously. The blonde nodded understandingly.

"We can return to our own territory now," she said, hoping to change the subject. "The object we were charged to recover has been… well, recovered."

"And what item was that?" Michiru asked stiffly, in an attempt to make conversation and because she was curious.

Haruka chuckled. "It was something called 'The Holy Grail.'" At Michiru's doubtful expression, she continued, "It was some fancy chalice or cup or something. It's claimed to have special properties, magical ones perhaps. Solid gold. Jewels. Nice, but not the fanciest trinket we've ever stolen." She shrugged. "There is a group of bandits in this territory much like our own- they are righteous and dedicated to the advancement of the economy… they are much like a younger version of this group, when we first banded together." She paused, thoughtfully. "But they lack the experience we have- the experience it would have taken to get their 'Holy Grail.'" She shrugged again, grinning. "This other group claims that the cup was important- crucial, even- and so we received word and traveled here to help them obtain it."

Michiru nodded slowly. "Did the other group fight with you?"

"Yes," the blonde answered cautiously. "But-"

"But what? Am I part of this team, or not?" Michiru asked angrily.

"You… are, but-"

"Then why didn't I accompany you on the mission?"

Haruka sighed. "Michiru, you do not realize how invaluable you are."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you do not know our language," Haruka said firmly. "You would have been lost, directionless, and if you had spoken out, which you might have, you could have been identified. And if you had been identified, it would have brought every bounty hunter, bandit, and not to mention your father's personal guard, to our door searching for you. Is that what you want?"

"No, it isn't. But if you teach me to sign-"

"We can't afford to lose you, Michiru. End of discussion."

"I will not sit at home and let you, or any member of this team for that matter, go out and risk their lives for me," Michiru stated. "Either you teach me to sign so that I may accompany you as part of the band that I joined, or I find my own way, _without _you."

Haruka glared at her, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. I will tell Pholus to instruct you."

"Are you so busy that you cannot teach me yourself?" Michiru challenged.

Haruka gave her a lopsided grin. "I do not have the patience required to teach."

Michiru smiled softly and was about to respond when she caught a slight glimpse of the skin underneath the collar of Haruka's shirt. There was a hastily-applied bandage on the blonde's deltoid, and Michiru could just faintly see an outline of red on it. She turned her gaze to Haruka's, saddened.

"You were wounded," she said, upset. "I wish you wouldn't treat me as helpless royalty- I could've helped."

Haruka sighed, reaching out to touch Michiru's hand gently. "Princess, you know why…"

Michiru pulled her hand away slowly, turning to the door, her back to the blonde. "Are we leaving in the morning?"

"Yes."

"I will be ready. Good night, Haruka." Michiru exited the room, leaving the blonde alone with her now cold dinner.

* * *

So I guess likes these lines. I don't, but they are helpful in breaking my story to bits...

Part of what inspired me to update was the new Robin Hood movie... I mean, my story is nothing like that movie, but it was still cool and reminded me that I have my own Robin Hood thing going on, lol.

Anyways. Keep your oranges peeled for part two.


	4. Part II: Resolve

Okay, hot diggity, you will now realize why I split up chapter 3 into two parts... hahah I got carried away. And sorry it took so long to update. But here it is!

And Sailor Moon's not mine.

And that's pretty much it. :O

* * *

The ride home was swift and uneventful. Michiru did not bother to make conversation with her blonde leader, whom she was riding double with, since Zephus had resumed riding Persephone once again. It took the greater part of a day to make the journey back to their own lands, and once they reached what Michiru had begun to think of as "home," the former princess quietly slipped off to her room to unpack, wash up and change into fresh clothing.

While unpacking, Michiru was reminded of the knife Haruka had given her. She unwrapped it from the canvas protecting it and studied it, admiring the intricate detailing that covered the entire dagger. She frowned when she remembered why she was upset in the first place- Haruka still treated her like a child. Well, she decided, she could seek teaching from Pholus. The brown-haired man had endless patience and actually enjoyed teaching her things. She was a fast learner, and she knew she could be a great bandit if given the chance.

Her hunger eventually guided her down to the fire pit, where some of the bandits were already enjoying a meal. Pholus was among them, and Michiru guessed that now was as good a time as any to approach him about taking on more lessons.

"Pholus," she began as she advanced on the bandit. The man smiled as she drew closer and gestured for her to sit near him, by the fire.

"Ah, Princess," he said softly. "I was wondering when you'd come around again."

Michiru returned his smile. "Pholus, I have a favor to ask of you."

Pholus was already nodding. "Of course, of course, we can begin as soon as you're ready."

Michiru raised a questioning eyebrow. "Begin what?"

"Well, your signing lessons, of course."

Michiru gave him a curious look. "How did you know that's the favor I had come to ask? Has Haruka spoken to you so soon?"

Pholus grinned. "Well, to be honest, Princess, I merely assumed that you would eventually want to know. After all, you seem as if you desire to fit in. Learning our secret language is the first step. You've taken on archery, which is helpful, but it takes more than hunting and fighting skills to survive and excel at what we do."

Michiru lowered her head. "Do you think I can learn?"

Pholus smiled. "Princess Michiru, if you were unable to learn, I doubt the rest of us would have allowed you to fit in as much as you have. I believe you have the potential to be one of the best outlaws your father has ever had to deal with." He grinned at her, and Michiru laughed slightly and smiled genuinely at him, her mood already lifted by his positive encouragement.

The aqua-haired girl stopped laughing when a flash of blonde hair caught her eye, and her gaze shifted to the lithe, yet powerful, stride of their leader. The sun had mostly set and the firelight cast flickering shadows across Haruka's frame, highlighting her features in such a manner that it made the newest bandit's heart ache in an unfamiliar way. Michiru watched as the blonde stopped before Leko, who was perched near the edge of the woods, and the two carried on a brief conversation. Pholus followed Michiru's stare and smiled.

"You have eyes for Haruka?"

Michiru blushed and averted her gaze to the ground. "I simply admire her strength, is all."

"Are you sure?" Pholus drawled teasingly.

"Yes, why might you ask?" Michiru asked somewhat defensively.

"Well, I've asked you the same question three times and you've failed to respond, so I was simply curious," he teased. Michiru's blush deepened.

"I apologize for growing defensive then…"

"It's nothing," Pholus assured her with a slight wave of his hand.

"But in all fairness, is she not admirable?"

"Yes, she is." He laughed softly. "Haruka acts tough, but she's all talk. She cares more for this team than she does for her own life. I've seen her risk it time and time again for every single member, including Asbo." He paused. "She's saved my life more times than I can count… I've admired her since the day I met her."

"And how did you two meet, if you do not mind my asking?"

Pholus smiled wistfully. "Not at all." He shifted into a more comfortable position and poked the fire with a long stick by his side. The flames grew slightly higher for a moment before returning to their steady flicker. "As I told you previously, I lost my parents at a young age. I was only twelve when my father died in one of your father's war crusades. From then on, my mother just lost it. She was like a living corpse… I found I had to take care of myself. I learned to steal, and steal well. I became a thief, and spent most of my time teaching myself how to pick locks, and observing other, more experienced thieves. My father had taught me a thing or two about fighting before he died, so I knew some tricks to get out of trouble the few times that I was caught… But when my mother finally ended it, I found myself living on the streets." Michiru placed a gentle hand on Pholus's arm.

"I'm sorry."

Pholus smiled gratefully. "Thank you. It was a rough couple of years, but I hope some good will come out of it…" Michiru nodded. "When I was fourteen, I met Haruka," Pholus continued. "And what I didn't know was that she had been watching me for some time. We had very similar histories- her father had also been a soldier, and had also been killed by one of your father's wars. However, she had spent a great deal more time with hers and had picked up a lot of knowledge. She was also alone and living on the streets. Apparently, my thieving skills had impressed her, and she had taken to watching me. I did not know of her presence, though, until the day we met.

"It had been a bad week for me already, but I managed to sneak in and steal some dried fruit from a man who worked as a tax collector for your father. As I was sneaking out of his house, the man identified me and summoned soldiers to arrest me. They came quickly and knocked me down- I don't remember much except that they were really roughing me up good- And then, all of a sudden, I was being helped up and lead away, and when I looked to see who it was, it was Haruka. She had seen me getting beaten and jumped in.. She took on two soldiers and the tax collector single handedly, disabled them and still managed to help me away. I was already in awe of her for that, but she also managed to nurse me back to health in secret.

Pholus paused to observe the look of admiration on Michiru's face before he continued, "We stayed hidden for a while. She had quite a store of dried meats and other foods that we rationed. We realized then that we had a similar history, similar life, and that there could be no other way for us but to have a similar future. We decided, together, that we were going to do whatever it took to change things, and that's how we became what we are now. At first it was just us two, but eventually, through luck and circumstance, we discovered the other men. Xando is our newest and youngest member. His parents were murdered by your father's personal guard for refusing to build him weapons. His father was a chemist and worked with some kind of powder that explodes." At Michiru's impressed expression, Pholus shrugged.

"I never understood it myself." He turned to stare at the fire. "If you are going to help us take on your father, learn well." He looked at her. "I'll teach you all I know, but if you are a part of this team, then Haruka will undoubtedly risk her life for you at some point- you'd better make it worth it, because she means too much to me and the rest of us for you not to be."

Michiru nodded, determination flashing in her blue eyes. "I promise you this, Pholus- Haruka may, as you say, make the decision to risk her life for me, but I, in turn will do everything in my power to ensure that it is not needed. I will be the greatest contributing member this team has. Please, teach me so that I may aid you in restoring your town."

"I will hold you to it," Pholus replied. "And remember, Princess- this is your town, as well." At Michiru's serious expression, he continued. "But for now, let's focus on the task at hand… would you like to learn some of our signals?"

Michiru nodded, and Pholus began to teach her some of the many hand signs, signals, and whistles that they used to communicate. Michiru caught on fast and had little trouble with the hand signals, but the whistles took more practice and she still hadn't mastered them by the time the fire burned down to just cinders. They worked on it late into the night, until Tukk had to remind them that they had another raid in the morning.

* * *

When Michiru went outside to get breakfast in the morning Pholus greeted her with a sharp whistle which meant "Pay attention," usually signaling to the bandits that there were more verbal cues coming.

Michiru interpreted the sign and waited, and Pholus began to sign to her with his hands, instructing her to do various things, from dropping to the ground to throwing her knife at a nearby tree. Michiru did all she was told, unsure why Pholus was testing her, but when it was over, his motives became clear- his "Pay attention" whistle was not just for her, but for all the other bandits, including Haruka, all of whom did just that- paid attention to Michiru's demonstration.

"See Haruka? Not a single misinterpretation," Pholus called to the blonde, beaming.

"You taught her well, Pholus," Haruka admitted with a sly smile.

"She's a fast learner," Pholus countered.

"Perhaps- may I test her?" Haruka asked, raising an eyebrow deviously. Before Pholus could respond, Haruka whistled to draw Michiru's attention, and then began signing a complicated set of instructions at a very fast pace.

Michiru did her best to keep up, interpreting a lot of Haruka's instructions on the fly. Some of them were slight variations on what Pholus taught her, or familiar signs were grouped with unfamiliar signs, leaving Michiru to guess on their meanings. When it was over, Haruka called Michiru over via sign, and grinned.

"Not bad. I'll take it," Haruka said. "Well done, Princess."

"Haruka, if you have accepted me as part of the group, you shall have to stop calling me 'Princess' and simply call me by my given name," Michiru corrected with a smile.

"Very well then, _Michiru_," Haruka consented, "I believe you have earned your place among us. You will accompany us on the raid today. Get your gear, we are leaving right after breakfast."

Michiru tried to hide her absolute delight behind a modest smile and small bow. She thanked her leader and Pholus and turned to get her gear, nearly flying all the way to her room.

As promised, the bandits left straight after breakfast. They traveled on foot to the next town, which was a good three hour hike through the woods located slightly off of the main road. They were mostly quiet, carrying on small conversations with each other while they moved swiftly and purposefully through the woods. Michiru kept to herself for the majority of the journey, taking in her surroundings, breathing the fresh air and enjoying the cool beauty of the surrounding trees and plants. She used the time to think about what she could do to stop her father- he was a powerful, determined man. He had always given her everything she wanted, but she didn't feel especially close to him. He was always out "crusading" which was a cover-up, she now knew, for his marauding. She had grown up under the impression that her father was conquering other areas to show them the light and improve their economies, but she did not realize that their own kingdom was suffering, and so poorly run that if she had bothered to step outside of her palace, what her father told her would have been clearly exposed as nothing but lies.

She was admittedly ashamed at having lived in such a naïve bubble, but now she had to come up with a feasible plan to convince her father he was in the wrong. He had refused to pay ransom for her safe return home- had he refused out of pride, or out of indifference? She did not know the answer, but the only way she would find out would be to return home to confront him. But how to convince Haruka of that?

As they approached the outskirts of the nearby town, Leko sidled up to her. "Have you been briefed?" he inquired with a smile. At the shake of Michiru's head, he continued. "This town was conquered by your father many years ago. It is mostly a poor area- worse, in parts, than our own village. One of your father's tax collectors lives here, and of course, being a servant of your father, he is corrupted and greedy. We are going to attempt to break into his private money stash." Leko grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "Should be interesting. We'll spend the rest of the day observing and planning out the job, and when night falls, we'll make our move and slip out before he even knows what happened." He chuckled and Michiru smiled.

Haruka halted the group at the edge of the woods, motioning for them to huddle up. "Mark his house, it will be the one on the hill," she said in a low voice. "We will split into teams- Michiru goes with me. The rest of you follow our normal pattern. Observe, remember, and meet back here at sundown to plan our course of action. Do NOT under any circumstances engage in any activities that will call attention to us. We are normal travelers here for leisure." Everyone nodded, and began to remove their black cloaks, handing them to Tukk to be placed in a sack and then strung up into a tree. Michiru followed the other bandits' lead hesitantly, unsure about being out in the open.

Haruka sidled up next to her as the bandits began removing their heavy gear and hiding it in the surrounding foliage, keeping only small concealed weapons on themselves as a precaution. "Nervous?" she asked huskily. Michiru nodded. "I truly doubt you will recognize anyone here- this town is well known for its many passing visitors. You should be safe…" Michiru looked up into teal eyes and forced a nervous smile.

"And what if someone recognizes me?"

Haruka smiled tightly but did not respond, and it was then that Michiru realized why the blonde had automatically chosen her as her partner- the aqua-haired girl was the most likely to get into trouble and if anything were to happen, Haruka wanted to be the one it happened to.

"I see. Well, at least allow me to attempt to hide my identity." With that, she pulled a light brown scrap of cloth out of her bag and fastened it to the ribbon in her hair, successfully masking most of it and fashioning it into a head scarf of sorts.

Haruka nodded her approval and turned to the rest of the bandits. "Michiru and I will go first. The rest of you, take your turn." She flashed her "fearless leader" smile. "See you at twilight." With that, she motioned for Michiru to stay at her side as they made their way carefully out onto the main road and began to move into the town.

"Stay near me at all times," Haruka muttered as they drew closer to town. "If I give you this signal," she made a fist with her left hand and tapped the palm of her right hand on top of it, "It means do not ask questions, just hit the ground and protect yourself. Xando will have his eyes on us at all times from the trees but he may not be able to jump in quick enough if something happens. Please stay focused." They passed the first dwelling, which was a small farmhouse overlooking the fields that stretched to the edge of the forest. "And with that in mind," Haruka said, flashing another winning smile, "Please enjoy yourself."

Michiru nodded seriously in response, but as a villager came up and greeted her blonde leader, and Haruka, in turn, winningly and light-heartedly conversed with him, Michiru took her cue and dropped her serious persona.

"Where are you and your lovely wife off to, sir?" the villager asked. "Will you be stopping to have a bite to eat today?"

Haruka didn't miss a beat- she slipped her arm around Michiru and pulled her close. "That sounds lovely, friend. We've been on the road for days and haven't had a hot meal in ages. Where might one find a good meal around here?"

As the villager gave Haruka directions, Michiru tried her best not to blush and play the part of an adoring wife. Once they were on their way again, Michiru cast a slight glance at the blonde bandit, who only smiled mysteriously, seeming to be in exceptionally high spirits. "You should get used to it," she laughed. "After all, I am a 'man,' and respectable women don't go around traveling with men unless they are married or related- and we certainly couldn't pass as relatives." She grinned.

"I suppose so, _darling_," Michiru drawled with a smile, slipping her hand in Haruka's arm, allowing the blond to escort her.

"Ah, I knew you'd catch on fast."

* * *

Michiru tried to keep her mind on business, but it was hard not to secretly adore the time she was spending with Haruka, alone. Haruka was a true gentle(man), escorting her everywhere, opening doors for her, and even went so far as to purchase her a bouquet of flowers, tipping the young flower seller rather heavily. She was charming, humorous, and welcomed by every townsperson that they ran across. Her positive attitude, charisma, and respectful tone won her the good graces of the people they encountered. She left nothing but smiles in her wake as they visited several shops, an inn, and several other places. Some of the people they met already knew her, and she inconspicuously slipped them small purses of money, which they were very grateful for.

As they were having a quick supper before heading back to their secret meeting place in the woods, Michiru found herself staring, as if rediscovering her bandit for the first time. She knew Haruka was a good person, but to view her through the eyes of normal people, not her loyal band of followers, made her become conscious of the fact that she was more than just good- she was pure-hearted, righteous, and selfless. The realization made Michiru's heart ache in two different ways- first for her poor misjudgment of the blonde upon their initial introduction; and second because she found she was falling hopelessly in love with her.

"What is it?" Haruka asked softly, her eyes lowered to her bowl of steaming broth as she stirred it absently with her spoon. The tavern they were eating in was noisy, the sound of commoners drinking at the bar drowning out their conversation to others. It was very dark inside- the small number of windows were so caked with dirt and dust that they drowned out what small rays of the sun were still showing as it set far in the distance. There was barely any inside lighting, with only a small oil lamp on each table giving off slight illumination. The small flame flicked dances of light across Haruka's mostly shadowed face, and Michiru felt her heart pound madly at the mysterious effect.

"Hm?" Michiru inquired, studying her current partner closely.

Haruka raised her eyes to Michiru's, the intensity of her gaze making Michiru swallow, as it had done several times in the past. "You seem on edge, Michiru," she murmured. "Have I offended you in some way?"

Michiru forced a playful laugh, though she was still affected by Haruka's piercing stare, which felt to her as if the blonde was boring holes right through her. "Offended me you have not, Haruka," she assured softly. She averted her eyes to the table to escape Haruka's fierce green ones, then shyly looked up quickly before averting them again and blushing noticeably. "Though your gaze is quite intimidating."

Haruka softened and directed her gaze at her broth once again. "I apologize," she mumbled, more to herself than to Michiru.

"Is there something on your mind?" The aqua-haired girl managed to ask as she listened to her own heartbeat going crazy in her chest.

The blonde smiled, the shadows across her face giving Michiru a tingling feeling down her spine. "Yes, much," she conceded. Silence passed between them for a few moments before Haruka spoke again, this time with less confidence in her voice. "I have enjoyed these past few hours with you."

Michiru looked up at the honest, unsure tone in Haruka's voice, her stomach fluttering nervously. "I have enjoyed them, as well."

"I-" the bandit started nervously, her fingers fidgeting with her spoon, and she caught Michiru's gaze and held it. They stared into each other's eyes for a few long, intense moments before Michiru interrupted with, "You?"

Haruka blinked and swallowed. "I'm glad you're part of our team," she finished awkwardly.

Michiru smiled. "As am I."

* * *

Night had fallen. The team of bandits had regrouped and were summarizing their attack plans. Once again dressed in their feature-obscuring black cloaks, they were geared up and ready to carry out their mission.

"I scouted his house from every angle," Leko whispered conspiratorially, "and his gold safe is actually an entire chamber, located on the second floor of the house." The bandits were leaning into a tight huddle, and he used a stick to draw a floor plan in the sand in the middle of them. "He has three servants, whose quarters are on the first floor here," he pointed with the stick, "and a son whose bedchamber is on the second floor here," he pointed again. "As long as we avoid detection, we should be able to slip up to the money store."

Haruka nodded and took charge. "Xando and Pholus will go in. Leko, you will stay up top. Zephus and Tukk: perimeter. Michiru…." She paused for a moment and caught the aqua-haired girl's gaze. "Look-out."

Michiru nodded in acceptance, not at all surprised in the bandits' abilities to gather such detailed information within such a short window. Though slightly upset that she wasn't in the middle of the action, she knew being the look-out was a huge responsibility.

"What about you, Haruka?" Pholus whispered.

"I will back you, of course." The blonde looked around quickly. "All right, let's move."

The bandits separated silently, each carrying the gear they would need to complete their task. Xando had a gauntlet on his right forearm that had several small pouches attached to it. Michiru knew that they contained lock-picking tools and other accessories for breaking into various things, from doors to treasure chests. All three of the bandits of the main mission had bags strapped to their backs, which contained smaller sacks for carrying the gold they would be stealing. In addition, Haruka had her quiver and bow.

Zephus and Tukk left immediately to secure the perimeter while Leko climbed a tree and disappeared to give them coverage from higher up. Pholus turned to Michiru. "Find a good spot. We'll listen for the signal."

Michiru nodded and watched as Pholus, Xando and Haruka disappeared into the darkness.

She was on her own.

Michiru was on high alert perched in her tree overlooking the house and the long windy road that connected it to the village. She could not see her other bandit partners, but she knew they were there hidden in shadows. She strained her night-adjusted eyes to look for any hint of movement which would signal they had been compromised. As she scanned the windows of the house once again, she noticed movement in the corner of her eye. Someone was coming up the road!

She sent a quick, shrill whistle which reverberated in the empty silence of the night, which to the stranger on the road would be mistaken for the sound of a night critter, but to the vigilant and observant bandits would be a signal that they were about to have a visitor. A low, answering call came from somewhere in the trees to her left. She communicated via whistles and verbal noises the position of the stranger, and waited.

Silence greeted her and she sat tensely on her branch, peering through the darkness and nearly going crazy with anticipation. The stranger was getting closer, and as she squinted to see who it was, a small detail caught her eye- the person was dressed in a military outfit, so he was part of her father's army, but what caught her eye was the red star on the top of his right shoulder, signifying he was part of her father's elite personal team she had nicknamed the DoD- the Death or Destruction team. These were military warriors of her father that he sent in when he needed demolition. They were ruthless, severe, and bloodthirsty, and highly trained in several forms of combat.

Michiru began to get even more worried. A run-in with even one of those red- starred men might result in a fatality. Michiru could not think to lose any one of her teammates, and so, after wrestling with her thoughts for a split second, she moved to slide down from her tree to directly warn the bandits in the house of the immediate danger they were in. She crept closer to the structure, never losing sight of the red star, and reached the edge of the low fence surrounding the estate. Slipping easily through the wide wooden rails, she crouched low and reached the wall. She pressed her back against it and waited for a sound that would signify that she had been spotted. Silence greeted her, and she breathed a small sigh of relief. As she turned to continue in her mission, she was stopped by a firm hand on her shoulder and the cold point of a blade against her neck.

"What are you doing?"

Michiru barely recognized the voice, but she slowly turned to catch the dark, gray eyes of Tukk, who looked slightly angry but mostly confused. "Are you trying to sabotage the mission?" he asked in a hushed whisper, and Michiru then realized what her leaving her post must have looked like to him. He narrowed his eyes accusingly and pushed his blade against her harder.

"No!" she breathed, not at all sure that Tukk would believe her. "We have to abort the mission!"

"Why?" the dark-blue-haired man asked lowly, suspiciously, and Michiru began to panic slightly at the thought of the red-starred DoD team member making his way into the house and reaching the rest of her teammates. "Everything is going according to plan."

"Please trust me! The man I spotted is an elite soldier in my father's army! We have to leave now or risk confronting him."

Tukk shrugged nonchalantly, removing the pressure of his blade a degree. "It will be simple for Haruka, Xando and Pholus to overcome him quietly, especially since they've been alerted to his presence."

"But you don't understand! He's not like the other soldiers- he's different. He specializes in taking down people like us!"

"Michiru, go back to your post, or-"

A loud explosion from the inside of the house startled both of them, and the reaction was instantaneous. Michiru hit the ground, not out of fear, but as she'd been trained to do. Tukk crouched to regain his footing, then whistled a loud, commanding note that Michiru knew meant danger. He drew his short swords and disappeared around the corner as lights began turning on in the house and the sound of angry voices shouting rang through the blackness.

Michiru got to her feet, her thoughts flying. What had happened? She could smell smoke mixed with… something else that she couldn't quite place, something oddly familiar, yet she didn't know where from… she analyzed what weapons she had on her and decided she was most capable with her knife. She drew it and moved in the direction Tukk had gone in.

The sound of someone landing beside her startled her, but she caught Leko's profile in her peripheral vision and calmed slightly as he joined her and began guarding her back.

He asked her briefly via silent hand signs what happened, and she responded as best she could. He nodded, and shifted his gaze behind them, then held up four fingers on his right hand. Michiru's stomach dropped. That meant there were four more soldiers that had arrived since the explosion. She pointed to her right shoulder and made a signal that she hoped Leko would interpret as "red" and at his silent nod, she felt even more terrified for her friends inside the house.

She swallowed, nodded, and they made a run for the back entrance.

Tukk had already slipped inside through the upstairs window by scaling a nearby tree. Michiru easily followed the same path and was joined by Leko a moment later. Once inside in the dark upstairs room, they easily tracked the route that Tukk had taken, which was also the same route Haruka, Xando and Pholus had followed. They let the glowing embers of the downstairs fire light their way, and after discovering the store room and finding it cleaned out, they shared a knowing glance- their team had been there.

A shout and the sounds of a fight downstairs stopped them in their analyzing and Leko took the lead as they stormed down the stairs to discover a scene Michiru had hoped she would never see.

There were five Red-Stars in the room, outnumbering the four bandits. The air was hazy, the smoke an after-effect of the previous small explosion. Tukk had already joined the fight and was concentrating hard on dueling with one of the DoD members, whose chosen weapon was a spear, on one side of the room. The three other bandits had their own swords out and were fighting the remainder of the Red-Stars on the other side, with Haruka parrying two, but losing ground each time.

"Stay here!" Leko growled, and fired an arrow into the shoulder of the second Red-Star battling Haruka. He jumped down the last two steps and confronted his previous target with a loud battle cry that sounded a lot like a grizzly bear roaring.

Michiru felt useless, but knew if she attempted to engage any of the Red-Stars, she would not only definitely lose the battle, but she would also surely reveal to her father that she had joined sides with the bandits, a crucial disadvantage for the plan she had been formulating in her mind. She had to stay out of sight for fear of being recognized, so she carefully obscured her face with her hood and anxiously watched the battle through the slots in the banister with great frustration and guilt.

Her bandit comrades seemed to be holding their own rather well, but they were not winning. She knew it was only a matter of time before one side tired, and she had an increasingly strong feeling of dread that it was going to be hers. As she watched the bandits engage the Red-Stars again and again, she tried to absorb the fighting techniques, hoping that she could file away some of the moves for later use, if only for informational purposes.

She was watching Haruka most of all. With the addition of Leko into the fray, she was no longer struggling to fight two foes, and fighting only one was almost effortless for the blonde. She was partially enjoying the fight- she had not been nearly equally matched in a long time. Her way was much harder because she was not attempting to kill her adversary, which was a restriction the Red-Star did not honor. Michiru's attention was drawn away at the sound of a body slamming against the long, wooden table in the center of the room. With a look of horror she realized it was Pholus. The man was lying on his back, his opponent had him pinned to the table and was about to run him through with a large, heavy cleaver.

Without thinking, Michiru drew her knife and threw it, with perfect accuracy, into the Red-Star's hand, nearly severing it. In an instant, several things happened at once- the Red-Star lost all response from his appendage, resulting in the cleaver falling to the table with a thud, bood began pouring from the new wound in a continuous flow of red, and Pholus recovered to his feet. The large pool of blood gathering on the table combined with the screaming of the Red-Star who had been injured drew the attention of the other Red-Stars, who had no idea where the perfectly-thrown knife had come from. In another instant, Xando had appeared, clubbing the Red Star unconscious with a stray piece of timber. Once satisfied that his foe would not get up anytime soon, he spun to quickly help Tukk take down his opponent. Michiru sensed that the other Red-Stars had turned in her direction, at last. She ducked down to avoid detection and just hoped that the bandits finished it quickly.

A hand on her shoulder startled her and she prepared to defend herself, until she recognized the concerned teal eyes.

"Lucky you learn so well," Haruka muttered, helping Michiru to her feet quickly.

The aqua-haired princess, relieved that her leader was okay, regained her footing and followed the regrouping bandits outside into the night. They were loaded down with spoils and many of them had bleeding cuts and bruises, but all of them were alive. Zephus met them once they reached the fence.

"The escape path is secure… Bloody hell! You had a good run-in, did you?" At Haruka's silent and serious nod, Zephus grinned. "Well, come on, then. Let's get going."

They quietly and swiftly melted into the forest, just as the sound of shouts and alarms began, but soon they faded into the distance.

The journey home was quiet and rough. Michiru was shaken up at the thought of Pholus nearly being killed, and she was lost in her disturbing reverie for most of the trek. When they finally reached their base just before sunrise, Michiru had never been so exhausted. She felt like she could go to sleep and stay that way forever. As Haruka gently dismissed them, she moved towards their cabin, ready to retire.

"Michiru," Pholus called. The aqua-haired girl turned towards the man, whose face was splattered with specks of blood that had sprayed from the wound she inflicted earlier that evening. She flinched as she recalled it, and felt slightly bad for the man who would most likely never have use of his right hand again, or a right hand at all, assuming he woke up in time to not bleed to death.

"Yes?" she asked meekly. Pholus reached to hand her something, and as she gazed down at his hand, recognized the knife she had thrown, cleaned and gleaming. Her eyes met Pholus's.

"I…. thank you," he said sincerely, somewhat shakily.

Michiru felt tears coming to her eyes at the man's gratitude, and at the thought of almost losing him. Impulsively she moved forward to give him a fierce hug, her tears streaking down her cheeks. "You scared me," she choked out. "Please be more careful." She pulled back and smiled weakly at him, and he returned a sheepish smile.

"I will… Although, I'm rather grateful you are such a quick learner."

Michiu swallowed and wiped her tears away, giving a slight laugh. "Me, too. Good night, Pholus."

"Good night, Michiru."

* * *

Michiru slept all day, since Haruka had given them leave to recover. When she woke up, she was still exhausted, but felt restless enough to get out of bed. She went to the washroom and took a long bath, then dressed in her comfortable, casual clothes. She still felt weird wearing pants so she only wore them when she had to, which was on missions.

The night was half over by the time she left the comforting seclusion of her room and journeyed outside. The fire had died down to a small glow, only the remaining embers casting light upon the lone figure seated near it. As Michiru approached the bandit she now recognized as Haruka, she began to rethink her decision. They were rarely completely alone, and now that they were, she felt powerfully nervous.

When she was three steps away, the blonde turned her head slightly, gazing at her from the corner of her eye. "Michiru," she murmured softly.

"Haruka," the aqua-haired girl returned in the same tone. She moved hesitantly to the space next to her leader, waiting for the bandit to protest. When she received no complaint, she sat down gracefully, her legs folded neatly at her side.

They were silent. Michiru had imagined this moment- being entirely alone with the tomboy by the fire- many times, in many different ways. She had fantasized about the romantic feeling of it all, about all of the questions she was dying to ask her, even about possibly kissing her, which was a startling urge she had recently accepted. However, as she sat near the blonde in the very scenario of her daydreams, she was hard-pressed to remember any of the questions that at any other moment would be spilling forth from her mouth.

After a few long minutes of quiet, Haruka broke the silence. "What brings you? Do you really have nothing better to do with your time?" She said it affectionately, with a calm smile, so that Michiru was not offended by the implications of the question.

"I'm afraid not," Michiru replied, _Plus there's no one else I'd rather spend my free time with,_ she added silently.

Haruka grunted, and returned to staring into the embers of the fire. Michiru caught herself staring, her eyes tracing the shadows across the blonde's face. Feeling her gaze, Haruka looked up, and their eyes met. Michiru felt like she had been caught doing something wrong, and her immediate response was to blush and avert her stare. She couldn't avoid Haruka's intense eyes for long, and she found herself returning the gaze, her heart pounding and her mind drifting away to imagine tasting the blonde's smooth lips.

"I-I've been thinking," Michiru stuttered suddenly, to dispel the growing urge to kiss the bandit before her, and her own disturbing thoughts.

A blonde eyebrow raised in interest and she leaned closer. "I suppose it had to happen some time… What about?"

Michiru acknowledged the good-natured jibe with a brief smile and ventured, "I think I should talk to my father."

Haruka froze, weighing her next words carefully. "I don't think talking to him will help, Michiru," she said gently.

"I have a plan," Michiru argued softly. "But you're going to have to trust me."

Haruka sighed. "Michiru…"

The aqua-haired girl frowned. "Haruka," she pouted. "You don't trust me?"

"I do trust you. And after yesterday, I can say with certainty that all of my men trust you, as well."

"But?"

Haruka sighed, and nervously ran a hand through her hair. "I just… well, your father is a violent man. He's going to demand information from you, and if he didn't pay for your ransom, that means he's already considered and accepted that you might be dead and is okay with it, so… I- well, I'm just concerned-"

"Are you _worried_ about me, Haruka?" Michiru breathed, giving her leader a teasing smile.

Haruka raised her gaze to Michiru's, her expression intense and serious. "Yes," she answered honestly. "And I am also worried about my men." And at Michiru's hurt expression she added, "Not because I don't trust you… Your father has powerful methods to extract information that even you won't be able to resist. I know you would never give us up willingly, but you may not have a choice, if you're tortured."

"I have a plan, though," Michiru repeated.

Haruka smiled. "Plan or no plan, I doubt Chiron will listen."

"But talking to my father is not the main part of the plan, it's the distraction."

"I'm listening."

"I re-enter the palace, but not to talk to my father alone. While I'm there I have access to my personal guard-"

"-just one more thing I'm worried about-"

"-and I can send a message to the Queen."

Haruka's ears perked up at the idea. "The Queen? You mean… Queen Serenity?"

"Yes," Michiru nodded.

"How does she fit in with all of this?"

"Well, the Queen is still technically the supreme ruler of this entire continent. My father has been appointed kingship over this sector only by the power of Queen Serenity," Michiru explained. "It's not common knowledge. It's something I've just recently remembered, that I'm not even supposed to know. It's in Father's best interest for everyone to think that he is the highest authority."

"This is news," Haruka mumbled to herself more than to her companion. "So there's a way to get Chiron removed from power without bloodshed."

"Exactly," Michiru nodded. "If I send a message telling her to investigate, and if Father does not know she is coming, she can see the true state of things and appoint someone else."

"Like you," Haruka said seriously.

Michiru blushed. "Well, I don't think I am the best candidate for the job. It wasn't particularly what I had in mind."

"Why not?" the blonde asked. "You've changed a lot, Michiru. I honestly believe you have your people's best interests at heart. I think you would do a lot of good for this kingdom. And not to mention, you are the princess, which means you are next in line to the throne."

Michiru was silent a moment as she contemplated her leader's words. "Perhaps you are right," she said at last, "but even still it's not something we have to decide right away. I'll worry about getting my father removed, and you can worry about who will succeed him."

Haruka grinned again. "Deal."

"Can you get me to the palace without being detected?" Haruka laughed, and Michiru smiled in amusement. "I'm not sure why I even bothered to ask that question…"

Haruka turned serious after a moment. "We should probably do this soon."

Michiru nodded. "I was planning on tomorrow."

Haruka smiled sadly. "You did plan on soon, didn't you? Very well. We will hold a meeting in the morning to brief the others. Tonight, you should rest. You have a very daunting and difficult task ahead of you."

Michiru silently agreed but made no move to leave. Instead, she swallowed and sat very still, watching the blonde archer. Her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots with anticipation, but after a few tense moments of silence, she realized that Haruka was not even paying any attention to her, and was instead nervously chewing her lip while gazing at the fire.

"Haruka?"

"Hm?" the blonde asked distractedly. After a brief moment she looked up. "Michiru- you're still here?"

Disappointed, Michiru nodded. "Yes."

Sensing the aqua-haired girl's unease, she frowned. "Ah, I apologize- I simply have a lot on my mind."

"Care to indulge me?" Michiru asked in a soft, encouraging tone, unconsciously moving closer to her companion.

"Well, the mission tomorrow," the blonde started, laughing nervously and poking the fire. "A lot could go wrong, with the men, and the guards, and Chiron, and well, what if-"

"You're still worried?" Michiru asked, the soft tone of her voice putting Haruka at ease.

"Yes," Haruka answered honestly. "But not about our end of the plan. I'm only worried for your safety. I won't be there to protect you from Chiron or his guards, and… well, Michiru… I…" she trailed off as she felt Michiru's soft hand moving to rest gently atop hers. She averted her gaze to their hands, Michiru's thumb stroking the back of hers affectionately.

"Michiru…" Haruka sighed, fidgeting uncomfortably. She made to pull her hand away, but in doing so, their fingers became intertwined and she spotted the faint rosy hue gracing Michiru's cheeks as the girl gazed down tenderly at their hands clasped together. She swallowed, glanced over her shoulder, and, once she was sure no one was around, relaxed and allowed herself to hold the aqua-haired princess's hand, the slight smile that sprang to her lips not lost to her companion.

* * *

"Now remember- If anything goes wrong, I want you to light the flare-stick," Leko said.

"Right," Michiru agreed for what she felt was the seven millionth time that morning. She was touched- at the unveiling of her plan, several of the bandits had protested on her behalf, more out of concern for her well-being rather than theirs. Leko had reminded her of the flare-stick at least five times since Xando had handed it to her.

"It's a new item we've yet to incorporate into our endeavors," he had told her quietly that morning. "Even still, I've tested it several times, and it works. If you get into a jam, light the fuse and toss it. The blinding light can be seen for quite a distance, and since we will be watching for it, it will alert us to your distress."

She had thanked him and hidden the stick away into her belongings. Since she did not want to reveal to her father that she had in fact joined up with the very bandits plaguing his kingdom, she opted to leave her weapons and dark hooded cloak in her quarters, and instead dressed in the original clothes she had been stolen away in, carrying only a small satchel, which the flare-stick was safely tucked away in. Also hidden away in her satchel was the letter she had written, addressed to Queen Serenity, which she intended to give to Osario to deliver as soon as she saw him.

Pholus hugged her briefly. "Be careful," he said, his encouraging smile belying the seriousness of his tone. "Chiron will show no mercy to a bandit."

She nodded. "If all goes well, we will not have to remain bandits for much longer."

"Let's hope so!" Zephus piped up with a grin.

Haruka, who had remained silent up to that point, stepped forward. "Are you ready?"

At Michiru's nod, the blonde bandit swallowed, her intense expression giving her goosebumps. "Michiru… I… We… all apologize." At Michiru's questioning gaze, Haruka stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, the other hand pressing a cloth firmly over her nose and mouth. Her last thought was how similar the whole situation was to how she was originally captured.

* * *

"Princess! Princess! Can you hear me? Princess Michiru!"

Her eyes fluttered open and fell upon the worn, ragged face of her Captain of the Guard. "Osario..?" she murmured weakly. She raised her head and looked around. She felt light-headed, and as she took in the bruises and light cuts decorating her limbs, she realized why- her bandits had added a touch of realism to her "escape."

"Where am I?" she asked softly.

"You are safe," Osario responded sternly. "We found you just outside the palace walls. You were left for dead by those- those filthy-"

"You found me?" Michiru cut off with an air of gratitude, distracting Osario from his building anger.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he responded with a slight bow of his head.

"Many thanks," Michiru murmured. She shifted her gaze past her Captain and noticed the three other guards that flanked him, recognizing his second-in-command, a dirty-blonde haired man named Kanar. "Does my father know you have found me?"

"No, Your Highness. I have not sent word to him, yet."

"Excellent," Michiru whispered. At Osario's questioning gaze, she looked at him seriously and said, "Osario, if I asked an important favor of you, would you do it?"

The man paused, considerate. "Yes, Your Highness. Whatever task you may ask of me, I will complete."

Michiru nodded and weakly reached into her satchel, pulling the letter she had written free. "I need you to deliver this to the Silver Crystal Palace located in the Crystal City."

Osario looked confused. "That's…" His eyes widened. "You-"

Michiru cut him off, her tone increasingly determined. "Do you know the location I speak of?"

The man nodded. "I have been there a handful of times, yes."

"Then I need you to deliver it. This is vitally important. I need it done immediately."

"Surely, Your Highness, only let me help you to the palace-"

"Leave me, there is not time for that. I can make it there fine with the aid of your three guards."

Osario hesitated, casting a glance over his shoulder at his company. "Princess, are you sure?"

Michiru smiled reassuringly. "I am truly fine, though I appreciate your concern for me. Please complete my task as swiftly as you can."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will deliver it straight away."

Michiru gave him permission to leave, and he did so only after helping her to her feet and issuing a stern warning to his men to protect her.

Once he was mounted and out of sight, Michiru allowed herself to be led to the palace, knowing that her mission was already accomplished, and yet the most frightening part was still ahead- facing her father.

Upon entering the foyer of the palace, Michiru was met by two armed, wary guards, who were dressed in the uniform of her father's DoD team, immediately putting the secret bandit on edge.

"We are here to escort you to the king's audience chamber."

"By God, the princess needs some medical attention! Do you see her condition?" Kanar growled angrily, placing himself between Michiru and the two Red-Stars.

"We are here on King Chiron's authority. Medical attention will have to wait."

"Listen-" Osario's Second gritted.

"Kanar, it's all right," Michiru murmured softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a meaningful gaze, then offered a polite smile to the to Red-Stars. "I will accompany you to see my father." She nodded her head as if to say _lead the way, _and as she fell into step behind them, her three guards fell into a protective formation surrounding her. Kanar was fuming, but clearly knew there was nothing he could do but assist the princess to the audience chamber.

As Michiru steeled herself during the walk, a million scenarios ran through her mind at the speed of light. Would her father be angry? Would he be pleased? Would he be relieved to see her alive? Or would he be full of regret? She felt her throat dry at the thought of him killing her himself… She took a shaky breath and told herself that it would not come to that.

But how could her bandits possibly see a flare-stick, even if she lit one now? They were indoors, and deep within the palace. She bit her lip nervously. She was truly on her own.

Too soon, the escort party reached the huge, decorated threshold of King Chiron's audience chamber. Two armed guards stood outside the closed doors. "The King will see you, now," one of them growled as he reached for the ornate, heavy handle. The door swung open slowly, and Michiru hesitated, swallowing, before she entered.

She moved to the base of the giant steps leading up to the grand, golden chair where her father was seated in shadow, his expression unreadable. Out of habit, she fell to her knees in respect. "You wished to see me, Father?"

"Michiru," he said slowly, the sound of his voice sending a shiver of fear down her spine. He laughed, and Michiru raised her head slightly to look him in the eye. "I am surprised to see you alive…. Tell me, where have you been all this time? It is unfathomable to think a helpless girl like yourself would be able to survive on her own. Who's been taking care of you?"

"I was kidnapped," the princess stated. "My abductors provided shelter and provisions."

"Kidnapped? Yes, tell me something I am not aware of, you useless leech. In addiction to the ransom note I had the pleasure to come home to, I also received word from your equally useless guard Osario that you had been abducted from this very room in my absence… How utterly unthinkable that a handful of trained, capable soldiers could not keep you safe in a stronghold such as this palace… But you still have not answered my question, girl. Who is responsible for your safety?"

Michiru clenched her teeth, but refused to fall victim to her father's insults. "I have already informed you that I was kidnapped. Do you think my kidnappers would be so stupid as to reveal their identities to me?"

"Watch your mouth, you selfish wretch!" Chiron growled, shifting angrily in his chair. He made a slight waving motion with his hand, and one of the Red-Stars surged forward and snatched her small satchel from her shoulder. The bag was handed to King Chiron, who then rifled through it. He pulled out the flare stick, examining it. The other item in the bag was her dagger, which he also scrutinized. After an intense moment of silence, he took a calming breath and continued, "You have presented me with quite a dilemma, Michiru. You claim that your abductors have not revealed their identities to you. And yet-" he held up the two items retrieved from her satchel "- how have you come to obtain these?"

"I liberated the dagger from one of my kidnappers when I escaped," Michiru lied.

King Chiron laughed. "I am not so stupid, Michiru. These markings are for the deity of Neptune, which is your ruling deity, is it not?"

"Is it so inconceivable that there might be more than one person on earth that has the deity of Neptune as their ruling deity, Father?"

"Do not disrespect me, you ungrateful brat, or I swear to you, I will murder you myself!" Chiron hissed. "Now tell me the truth!"

Michiru pressed her lips together tightly and angrily looked away.

"Don't toy with me girl, or you will seal your fate… If you will not reveal their identities to me, then you are to be considered a traitor to the crown, your people, and your own father!"

Michiru swallowed, but kept up her bravado.

The King stood up abruptly and descended the stairs, grabbing his daughter roughly by the face. "Filthy whore, I'm growing impatient with your games. I know you are in cohorts with them, and I know they are the bandits who have been causing me trouble for years. I'm giving you one last chance…. Tell me the location of their base of operations, and all is forgiven. You can come home, and all will be as it was before you left. Don't be a fool, Michiru. Tell me."

Michiru glared, refusing to speak. Her father's fingers tightened on her jaw. He released her, drew back his fist and back-handed her, the force of it knocking her to the ground. He towered over her, preparing to descend on her, when Kanar and his other two guards rushed forward in protest to stop his charge.

At the blocking of his angry attack, the king backed away, roaring. "Get her out of my sight! She has officially sentenced herself to prison by protecting wanted criminals. She has chosen to align herself with them over her own family, and for that, I cannot forgive her! Arrest her immediately!" At the hesitation of the guards, he bellowed, "Do you not hear me? NOW, you fools! Do not disobey me, or I will kill you all!"

Kanar reacted. He grabbed Michiru up roughly and quickly bound her wrists together behind her back. "Let's go, traitor," he growled, forcing Michiru forward. She bit her lip in pain, for she was still weak from her previous injuries, but made no sound as she was marched out the door.

Once out of sight, Kanar loosened her wrist ropes and muttered under his breath, "Sorry, princess."

Michiru said nothing, but gave him a grateful look for not intervening on her behalf. Once they reached the dungeon, the Red-Star who was there grabbed her roughly by the elbow and cut her bonds free. He was not careful and knicked the top of her wrist, drawing a thin red line across her pale skin.

"In you go, 'princess,'" he sneered, shoving her through the wooden door and into the dark, dank cell. It was small and smelled like decay, but Michiru was determined to not let it rattle her. The Red Star stood in the doorway, his brawny frame blocking the entire opening. "Maybe since you've fallen from royalty, the king won't mind if I have a little fun with you, eh?" He laughed, grinning maniacally, and Michiru felt a trickle of fear make its way down her spine and mentally prepared to defend herself.

"I wouldn't try it, worm," Kanar growled, and Michiru could just barely make out his defensive stance through the sliver of doorway not barred by the Red Star. "The king may not object, but I know several of us who would." The man turned, meeting Kanar and giving Michiru a better view of the scene. Kanar was much smaller than the Red Star brute, but he had his other two men flanking him. The Red Star wisely decided not to pursue the issue, and turned to look at the aqua-haired girl.

"You've lucked out this time, girly… but I'd be careful if I were you… they can't protect you forever… Sooner or later we'll be alone." He leered, and, laughing, turned away, slamming the cell door shut behind him.

She heard several pairs of footsteps ascending the stone stairs and then, silence.

She was alone.

* * *

Okay so. It'll probably be another year before I update again, knowing me, lol... but I'll do the best I can. The next chapter is going to heat up!

And to my dear readers, thanks for following this story even though my updates are few and far between. I hope it was worth the wait, ye faithful followers! See you next time. :D


	5. Siege

Hiiiii everyone! I know this took forever- and I'm sorry. I could give you an excuse, but you all know how life goes. I will say that I never stopped working on this story- I just work on it a little bit at a time. (Which I'm sure it shows, hahaha my consistency of plot is all over the place O_o) but ANYWAYS.

Only one more chapter (and probably an Epilogue) to go until this masterpiece (roflroflrofl XD) is done!

No sex, not really any violence in this chapter... I'll save those for the next one. ;)

Enjoy! :D

* * *

She tried her best not to panic, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult as she ran through her options in her head. She was completely cut off from her only means of escape- access to her bandits. She had failed to talk to her father, or to even breach the subject matter- the way he was running his appointed kingdom. She was slightly wounded and trapped in a dirty, disgusting cell guarded by a man who basically threatened to have his way with her, by force if necessary, at any given moment. Her only allies inside were Kanar, Osario, when he returned, and the small group of soldiers they commanded.

The smell of the cell was beginning to overwhelm her. She had only been in for a few hours, and yet, she felt herself close to breaking. She had never been in such deplorable conditions, and she was afraid to touch anything residing within, or move at all. In her condition she was afraid she would die of infection before she could actually receive sentencing and execution, which she was sure was what her father had planned for her. It was pitch black except for the small gleam of torchlight shining through the rectangular, barred window located at eye level in the heavy wooden door. Since she could not see very well, she had no clue what was actually located inside her tiny prison. For all she knew, there could be another human being with her, however unlikely. She swallowed and ran through her options once again.

Bandits? No. Father? No. Kanar? Perhaps. She was certain he planned on returning. But when? It had been hours, and she had received no contact from anyone, not even, she shuddered to think, her guard, though she was thankful for the latter. Her mind paced in circles, as it had for the last several hours. How could she escape? _How could she escape? _

As another hour passed and she had devised escape plans that bordered on lucrative and became more and more unrealistic by the minute, she heard faint sounds from up the stairs. She moved to the door, hiding herself from view through the window, but watching the stairs at an angle. She heard a low voice arguing, a thud, and some soft laughter. The sound of a body being dragged down the steps made her stomach twist in knots. What was going on?

The second a hooded, cloaked figure came into view, dragging the body of her guard, accompanied by a second cloaked figure, her heart gave a hopeful leap. Was it Osario, disguised? Kanar? Or…?

"He wasn't much of a fight, was he, eh?" The voice Michiru recognized immediately as Leko's said.

"Afraid not, but all the better for us…. Michiru, are you in there?" Pholus called.

Michiru jumped in front of the cell door, grasping the bars with her hands and showing her face eagerly. "Yes!"

Pholus gave a sigh of relief, grabbing the torch off of the wall and moving forward to the little window, illuminating Michiru's face. "Thank goodness. I was afraid we'd gotten the wrong cell." Leko laughed.

"That would've been unfortunate for you… but not so much for the poor criminal we helped escape."

Michiru smiled. "You came to rescue me?" She was astonished, and amazed that they had made it so far without detection. But, when she remembered the circumstances of her own kidnapping, she had to admit she did have a very skilled group of bandits.

"Of course! You didn't expect us to leave you to rot, did you?" Pholus asked with a grin.

"Not one of our own," Leko agreed. He reached down to the unconscious guard and fished around on his belt for the keys. "Hmm…. Doesn't look like any of these go to your lock, Princess…"

"They wouldn't," Michiru confirmed. "Father did not intend for my cell to ever be opened, and certainly for no one to be visiting me. The key is kept in the treasury."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm a skilled lock-pick, then!" Leko reached into his cloak and pulled out a small flap of leather. He opened it, and, eying the lock, selected some thin, metal picks. "Xando would be faster, but.. I'm certain I can get it." Pholus held the torch to give Leko light, and the red-haired man began to work.

"How did you know I would be imprisoned?" The aqua-haired girl inquired.

Pholus shrugged. "Part of Haruka's intuition. She expected something to go wrong. And when we didn't see the flare-stick, she assumed you'd been incapacitated, either with prison or by some other means. The other part was dumb luck." At Michiru's stunned silence Pholus continued, "I'm joking, Michiru. We had been partially spying on you."

"I see. Is everyone here?"

"In some way, yes. Not all of us are inside the palace. Zephus and Tukk are guarding levels of the perimeter. Haruka and Xando are upstairs keeping a look out. We have to hurry," he said, giving Leko a pointed look.

"I've almost got it," Leko defended. Pholus rolled his eyes and Michiru anxiously clutched the bars tighter. An audible click was heard and Leko gave a small exclamation of triumph.

Pholus turned the handle and Michiru stepped aside as he pushed the heavy door open. She nearly fled from the horrifying room. Pholus smiled at her enthusiasm and pulled the door shut behind her as Leko produced a satchel from his back and reached inside, pulling out a black cloak. "This is yours, I believe," he said with a smile.

Michiru accepted the offered garment and swung it around her shoulders, pulling her hood up to obscure her features. "Yes, it is…" she almost purred, glad to be back in her comfort zone.

"Quietly, now… we'd like to make it out before we're discovered, if possible," Pholus reminded. He replaced the torch on the wall, and very swiftly led the way up the stairs. Michiru liberated a small knife from her unconscious guard, earning a look of approval from her comrades, and followed, with Leko bringing up the rear.

They flew up the winding stone steps silently, pausing at the top to inspect their surroundings. They were almost at ground level now, but were in a huge hall that was lined with many, many oddly-spaced, numbered doors, all leading down to dank, dirty cells. Michiru could hear faint voices from prisoners trapped below and shivered. Pholus gestured for her to follow him, and, spying only a guard that had been in the room before Pholus and Leko disabled him, they ran down the hall to a nondescript door. Michiru had never been in the dungeons before her confinement, and was grateful that her companions remembered the way back, for she could not have guessed which door led to the palace and which led to a lower-level trap. She supposed that was the purpose to prevent escape, but was still glad for it.

They reached the door and Michiru vaguely remembered what lay beyond from her initial escort to imprisonment- more stairs, straight up this time, which they again made swift work of. Once at the top there was one last door, and then they were in a small room that was painted and decorated in the same theme as the rest of the palace. Michiru gave a sigh of relief.

"Took you long enough," Haruka muttered good-naturedly. Michiru turned at the sound of the blonde's voice and, without thinking, launched herself into Haruka's arms. Surprised, the bandit returned her hug hesitantly but sincerely. Once she realized what she'd done, Michiru pulled back, blushing in embarrassment.

"She didn't hug _me_ like that," Leko pouted.

"Hey, me either," Pholus agreed. "And we were the ones who rescued her."

Michiru blushed further and Haruka laughed softly, causing the aqua-haired girl to smile. She was overjoyed at being reunited with her comrades. "How did you find me?"

Haruka smiled, showing off her perfect teeth. "We brought a friend." She stepped to the side to reveal Xando, who looked almost bored as he guarded-

"Fresnel!" the princess gasped at the sight of the unconscious man. He was propped up against the wall, bound, blindfolded, but otherwise unharmed.

Michiru turned to the young purple-haired man. "Hi, Xando," she said softly. She could not see the boy's face but she could hear his smile when he replied, "Hullo, Mich'ru… No hug for me either, huh?"

The comment from the usually quiet boy caused the rest of them to crack up as loud as their situation allowed, but after a moment Haruka quieted them. "All right, we are not out of the woods yet. We've still got to get out of here."

"That was a piece of cake last time," Leko pointed out.

"Yes, but we didn't have the added security of Chiron's troops. Michiru's troops, no offense, were soft. Chiron's are… well, we all remember the collector's mansion. They are seasoned, hardened warriors. We need to be silent and stealthy."

Leko grinned. "Cake," he said to Michiru with a wink.

Haruka turned to the aqua-haired girl in question. "Is there anything you need before we leave?"

"Yes, actually," she answered. "In the library there's a special room where all of our official records are kept… the Scroll Keep. If I'm to prove to the Queen, upon her arrival, my royalty, I'll need a seal of some sort. My official seal is in the Scroll Keep…. I'm certain Father will have it publicly destroyed at his first opportunity. It's imperative we rescue it now, or lose it forever."

"Why publicly?" Pholus questioned.

"To present Michiru as a traitor," Haruka answered lowly, her anger barely contained. "If he does it publicly, then everyone will know she's a traitor, not just his staff. It demonstrates his power and makes her undesirable number one."

Michiru nodded in agreement. "We have to get that seal."

"Do you think you can find the way there from here?" Leko asked.

"Yes. Though the room is locked, so I'll need your picking skills once again."

Leko opened his mouth to respond.

"Let's let Xando handle it this time," Pholus cut in before Leko could answer.

The red-haired man closed his mouth, smiling sheepishly.

* * *

Their way to the library was mostly uneventful. They ran across a few guards, but none of them were Red-Stars, so they were easily overpowered and disabled. Michiru lead them quietly, pointing out secondary rooms, places to stash the unconscious guards' bodies where they wouldn't be discovered until long after they had made their escape from the palace.

Once they reached the library and disabled the two surprised men guarding its entrance, Michiru lead them inside the gigantic room and towards the back, to a inconspicuous wooden door. She nodded to Xando, who carefully examined the lock, selected some picks, and had the door open within a span of two minutes, much to Leko's embarrassment. The room was very dark and had a strong musty smell as Michiru entered, flanked by Haruka. The rest of the bandits remained in the library, guarding the entrance to the tiny room.

There was a long, thin candle on the wall which slowly burned, giving off the only light in the room. Against the wall was a tall cabinet with many tiny drawers containing various official seals, documents, and scrolls. Hanging on the opposite wall was a faded cloth map that had several Xs across it, signifying areas the king had already acquired under his rule. At the far end of the room opposite the door was a sturdy wooden table with several scrolls laid across it. Haruka ventured a few steps towards them, her curiosity getting the better of her. She was about to read them when Michiru made a noise of triumph, holding up a tattered binding of papers.

"Here it is- this contains the proof of my royalty," she said, smiling as she flipped through several papers in the binding. "Father has not destroyed them yet."

"Well let us not wait here to be discovered," Haruka murmured.

"I have one more thing I must do," Michiru said softly, moving to the table. She picked up a small piece of parchment and a quill and carefully wrote a place, date and time. When she was done she quickly sealed it in a tiny envelope and followed Haruka back out into the library.

"We have what we came for," the blonde bandit informed the rest of the team quietly. "Let us make our hasty escape."

"The way out is the same way we took last time we needed to leave this place," Pholus said softly.

"Then that's where we will go," Haruka stated. "Let us move, I don't fancy spending the rest of my life in the king's dungeon."

Quickly and carefully, they exited the library, backtracking their way almost to the room leading down to the prison, but instead of re-entering the room, they turned down an adjoining hallway which dead-ended at the Main Hall leading to the throne room. This secondary hall was lined with tall, intricately-framed windows, and only every third window had a hinge on it signifying that it could be opened. After checking to ensure the hallway was deserted, Xando carefully popped one of the windows open, revealing that it was nighttime to Michiru, who had seen no passage of time in her dark cell.

"This is a very tricky exit," Pholus warned her quietly. "This window is the only one that has a ledge beneath it, but it's extremely narrow, and it's a good ten-foot drop." Leko signaled discreetly out the window. Within seconds a rope with a small metal hook tied to the end appeared in the air, having been thrown from below, and Leko caught it, securing it to the sill.

"After you, Princess, you know I always take the six," Leko said with a grin.

"Not this time," Haruka commanded. "I'll take it. I want you all out safely."

Leko shrugged. "As you wish. And because I'm not worried in the slightest, I'll go first." He made a silly expression at Michiru and within seconds had jumped through the window and was out of sight.

Haruka nodded at Xando, who hesitated only slightly, but then after a moment reluctantly threw himself over the window sill. She turned to Pholus. "You're next. Help Michiru down when you get there."

Pholus smiled. "I was already planning on it." As he gripped the edge of the window, a loud banging echoed from the end of the hall. Pholus paused, trying to decide whether to stay and fight or quickly escape.

"Go," Haruka hissed, giving him a rough shove as another bang reached their ears. Pholus decided not to argue, and instead descended the rope. The blonde then turned to Michiru. "Hurry," she whispered.

The aqua-haired princess swung her leg over the window and looked up, frozen, as a final bang and the sound of the door crashing open made its way down the hall. Her brain registered the fast, heavy thudding of three pairs of footsteps, and the quick, quiet scraping of Haruka unsheathing her sword. She did not realize she had stopped moving, she only knew she could not leave Haruka alone.

"Michiru, please go!" Haruka snarled in a whisper, her eyes bright with alarm.

Michiru swallowed and moved her other leg through the window, so that she was sitting on the sill, facing out. The three men reached them with a roar, and Haruka met their onslaught, blocking the three jarring blows from their swords as best she could. Michiru turned her head slightly and was shocked to discover that her father was one of the three men.

After the initital attack, the king and his two supports stepped back, carefully sizing up Haruka, who was in a defensive stance, her features still obscured in shadows cast by her hooded cloak. She was nearly vibrating with energy as her shadowed eyes swept over her three opponents.

"Well, well, well," the king chuckled. "I must admit I am impressed, Bandit. I knew my daughter was in cohorts with you and your group of slimy-handed thieves, but I didn't think her miserable life would be worth the great risks you have obviously taken to preserve it."

Haruka remained silent, but Michiru raptly watched for any subtle shift in her weight, for any signal-

There! Haruka had carefully moved so that her left hand was out of sight of her three enemies, and she had cunningly shifted her fingers so that she was emphasizing three of them, giving Michiru a countdown.

"Why remain silent?" the king continued on menacingly. "You are beaten. Even if your comrade," he nodded at Michiru, "wanted to help you, my two men here will have killed both of you before he can even move to your aid. You are better off throwing down your weapons,-"

Haruka shifted her fingers again. Two.

"-surrendering, and giving me the information I need to locate my traitorous offspring. If you give her up, dear Bandit, perhaps I may spare you the slow, painful death I have in store for you and reward you with a quick, painless one instead."

Another finger shift. Michiru held her breath.

The king paused. Michiru tensed, preparing to jump out the window. Haruka remained taut and motionless, like a snake coiling up to strike. As the king opened his mouth to taunt her once more, she quickly pointed her finger at Michiru, who slid off the sill, grabbing the rope and sliding down the ledge. Pholus caught her arm as her feet touched it, and all she could hear was a scream of pain, her father's roar of outrage, the sound of swords clashing, and then Pholus was pulling her away from the rope and helping her walk along the narrow ledge. They reached the corner of the building, carefully rounded it, and Michiru saw another rope leading down to the ground. Pholus helped her descend it, and as her feet touched soil, she felt panic and terror rising inside her. _What about Haruka_?

Her pulse was racing at the thought of the blonde becoming captured, or worse- killed. Her father would only keep her alive as bait, but then, he might not even want to run the risk of another raid, thus killing her instantly. Scenarios ran through her mind at a mile a minute. She only realized she had been clutching Pholus's arm when the man grimaced at her tight hold, and she let go apologetically.

She fought down the urge to climb back up the rope and surrender herself if it would mean letting the blonde go unharmed- it would defeat their whole mission. She somehow allowed Pholus to guide her to the edge of the Palace grounds, where they met the towering stone wall that surrounded them. Leko and Xando were already there- she barely noticed that Zephus had joined up with them, having been the one who threw them the rope. After a moment of silence where they discerned they weren't yet spotted, Xando grabbed a patch of grass and pulled, revealing a tunnel that burrowed under the wall. It was not glamorous, but it served their purpose, which was to avoid detection. Just as Leko, who once again took the six position, crawled up out of the hole and Xando replaced the grass mat, a loud bell began to toll quickly. Michiru recognized it as the "breach" alarm, though she did not know if it had gone off at her initial kidnapping, since she had been unconscious for the journey to the bandits' hideout.

"Come on!" Pholus growled as torches began lighting all across the palace wall, illuminating the majority of the grounds and the area around the wall. He lead the way to the edge of the forest, which surrounded the palace on two sides, and once they were in the forest, Tukk swung down from a tree.

"Where's Haruka?" He asked quietly.

"We got separated," Pholus responded, casting a look at Michiru.

"She'll catch up with us, I'm sure of it," Leko stated calmly.

Tukk nodded doubtfully, then turned and began a quick pace through the woods, the rest of the group following suit. Once they reached their designated "safe spot" to determine if they were being chased, they waited. Partially for pursuers, partially for Haruka to make an appearance.

After about an hour, they heard a soft rustle from an adjacent direction from whence they had come, and six already tense bandits were drawing weapons in preparation for their visitor.

A cough, and a familiar chuckle, and every weapon was lowered in relief. "It's well past the 'respite hour'," Haruka said with a weak laugh. Her breathing was shallower than usual.

"We knew you'd show up, that's 'come we haven't left yet," Leko said jokingly.

"I apologize for my-" Haruka coughed, "-late arrival. I had to ensure I wasn't- hss- followed. And, ah- this slowed me down a bit," she admitted. She gestured to her side, which she was holding, hunched over slightly. It was dark, but even with just moonlight illuminating them Michiru could see the blood covering Haruka's hand. She gasped, moving forward.

"Oh, god!" she cried, her hand flying up to her mouth in horror. "Are you all right?"

"Don't fall apart, Michiru- this won't kill me. It'll just slow me down for a few days, it isn't bad." Haruka reached the huddle of her team and mustered all her strength to stand straight. "We need to get back. Our pursuers have not discovered our route. But we need to take the utmost precaution." At the steely nods she received, Haruka smiled. "Well done, everyone. We made it out alive and unharmed."

"Haruka, you moron- you do realize you're bleeding, don't you?" Pholus gibed gently.

Haruka smiled smugly. "Like I said, it won't kill me. Let's move."

* * *

Haruka cursed softly as Michiru gently pressed the soaked towel to her side, apologizing profusely at the spurts of pain she caused out of necessity. Under different circumstances Michiru might've found the whole situation amusing- instead she felt guilty and slightly bashful. Haruka was lying on her uninjured side, her shirt pulled up to her chest to reveal the gash located just below her bottom rib. It was not a particularly deep cut, but it bled a lot. The loss of blood combined with the supreme exertion by the blonde had contributed to her weakness earlier in the night. Michiru had already managed to make the bleeding subside, and now, with Haruka safely resting on a bedroll on the floor of her room, she was carefully cleaning and sanitizing the wound with the only available means of sterilization- drinking alcohol.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Michiru murmured softly. The candle set on the floor near them flickered and Haruka took another long drink from the flask resting on the floorboards near her shoulder.

"Are y'almos' done?" she slurred.

"Yes, I suppose it's as disinfected as it's going to get. You may sit up."

Haruka did so, slowly, her teeth clenched as she pushed herself upright. Michiru's eyes strayed to the blonde's flexed, bare abdominal muscles and she swallowed, reaching for the bandages she had set out next to her. She carefully focused on the task of wrapping Haruka's wound as the bandit began to talk.

"Well, I threw a knife at tha' one guard…. Y'know…. The big one, on th' right?" Haruka turned to look at her for affirmation, and Michiru looked up, their eyes meeting. Michiru nodded. "You're very pretty, y'know?"

Michiru felt her cheeks becoming hot and she averted her gaze to the bandage she was holding. She still had a few more rounds to go. "Thank you," she murmured. She looked up again suddenly as she felt Haruka's hand on her face, her thumb tracing a line on her forehead beneath a cut she had acquired when the bandits left her on her father's doorstep. She then cupped Michiru's face gently, turning it slowly to carefully inspect the large bruise that had began to form on the girl's cheek from her father's outraged blow.

The blonde cursed angrily at the sight of the darkening spot. "I'm sorry you were hurt…" she said sincerely, and her green eyes were so full of regret that Michiru felt her heart breaking at the thought.

"It's all right," she said soothingly, reaching up to cup Haruka's hand in her own and gently lowering it from her face reassuringly. "This won't kill me." She flashed a smile and Haruka looked relieved. She cleared her throat softly, stroking Haruka's hand once with her thumb before returning to the task at hand. "So you threw a knife…. That explains the scream I heard. Then what happened?"

"Well, your father charg'd me…. He was pretty angry, I guess…." She shrugged. "And I met him, 'course… And we fought…. But tha' other guy, he tried to- to- well he tried to go after you, so I wen' ahead and push'd him out th' window… But see, your father took th' opportun'ty and-" she made a stabbing motion into her side, then laughed.

"Did you kill him?"

Haruka laughed slightly. "Naw- wish I had, though, th' bastard- jus' knock'd 'im down enough for me t'escape… Couldn' go out after you guys, though… So I had to find another way… end'd up goin' out th' gardens."

Michiru nodded, knowing exactly which door she was referring to, picturing the scene in her head. She imagined Haruka sneaking out through the gardens, which were not heavily guarded, her father ringing the alarm, Haruka escaping somehow through the palace gate. It was all glorious and valiant in her mind.

"Michiru."

The aqua-haired girl came back to reality at the sound of her name spoken so eloquently and seriously, her gaze focusing on a suddenly sobered Haruka.

The blonde swallowed, her intense stare falling to her lap. "Your father and I, when we fought, he… Well, he saw my face." She paused, allowing this information to sink in. Michiru bit her lip, her hand subconsciously creeping down to grasp the blonde's at the knowledge that the bandit could never live a free life, that she was a known, wanted criminal now. After years of remaining anonymous, it was all over.

Haruka looked up, and Michiru felt her heart breaking at the sadness present in the slightly watery green eyes of her leader. In freeing her, Haruka had imprisoned herself. And now neither of them could ever be free again.

Not while her father held power.

* * *

"I really do appreciate you accompanying me on this mission, Xando," Michiru said quietly as the two crept with caution towards the Palace Wall. The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon, giving them the cover of beginning darkness.

"You do know that Haruka will kill both of us when she finds out?" the purple-haired man asked casually as they reached their scouting tree, which was located very near the corner of the wall.

"The thought had occurred to me- however, your silence is partly the reason why I chose _you_ to accompany me and not, say, Pholus," Michiru muttered as they scaled the tree to get a better view of the palace grounds. The tree's branches stretched out above the wall, giving them a perfect access point to the top of it. Below their particular branch was a guard station, containing two guards that went about their normal daily routines, completely unaware of the two bandits plotting above them- at the moment the guards were going through their nighttime security checks.

Xando did not respond. Michiru had approached him the day before to help her discover where her current acting Captain, Kanar, could be confronted. She wanted to give him the note she had written in the Scroll Keep, intended for Osario. She did not have the time to wait for Osario's return, nor did she think Osario would ever be in a position to be confronted in the outer areas of the palace. The only reliable way to get the letter to him was through Kanar, and the only way to get to Kanar was through observation. Within a day they had already discovered the shift changes and routines of the guards. Michiru was surprised at how incredibly predictable and easy it was to spot flaws and opportunities within the system- she had either trained her mind well and could admit she was becoming skilled at noticing such things, or her guards were more pathetic than she had ever believed.

As they settled in to wait, Michiru remembered why she was there to begin with- Haruka was recovering from her superficial injury, but the aqua-haired girl had to do everything in her power to protect her in the future. She would not allow the blonde to remain a wanted criminal for long, which meant she had to work fast. They would need help to put her father's palace under siege, which is why she needed Osario- to gather those who were loyal to her and the kingdom. The longer they waited, the more time her father had to counter-plan against them.

"I see him," Xando said lowly, gesturing to a figure walking down the main path through the grounds. The man, Kanar, stopped to converse with one of the guards, just as he had done the day before. If they had remembered right, his next stop would be to the guard who controlled the main gate at the top of the wall, and then to the pair of guards just below their hiding spot.

"We have to move quickly," Michiru instructed in a whisper as she began to creep carefully out onto the end of the branch. With a calculated jump, she could land on the top of the wall. However, because of the guard station, she had to quickly take out the two guards before they alerted the rest of the wall to her presence. She crouched and sprang from the branch, landing in a forward roll on the path along the top of the wall and ending in a crouched position once again. She caught the eye of the guard she had startled and carefully shot up to disarm him. Xando assisted her in knocking the guard unconscious and as they carefully placed him inside the station, they met the other guard head on. Before the second one could draw his weapon, however, Michiru had elbowed him in the trapezius, which dropped him, and Xando followed up with a blow to his temple.

The pair of bandits froze instantly, listening for Kanar's footsteps. They heard very faint voices, but they were calm, giving them the reassurance that they were not yet discovered. As the conversation ended and they waited for the footsteps to approach, Michiru felt her stomach clenching in anticipation. She had to take Kanar down quietly, which would be no easy feat for her.

Kanar reached the entrance to the guard station and stopped. Michiru gave him only a second to realize that something was wrong before she struck- she swung hard into his stomach, which he was not expecting, and before he could double over, she grabbed his face from behind and pulled him into the guard station, then pushed his back against the wall, covering his mouth. Kanar struggled mostly from lack of air, and after a second Michiru released his mouth, certain he did not have enough breath to call for aid. As he gasped for air, Xando drew his knife and held it against his throat threateningly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kanar asked hoarsely, coughing.

Michiru stepped back, lowering the hood of her cloak. "I needed to speak with you. Without my father's knowledge."

Kanar's eyes widened and he immediately bowed his head. "P-princess!" he stammered. "Forgive me! If I had known your father would react-"

"Kanar, all is forgiven.. However, time is of the utmost importance. I have a favor to ask."

"Anything, Your Highness. Ask and it shall be done."

"I need you to deliver something to Osario for me upon his return." Michiru reached into a fold of her cloak and produced the sealed envelope containing the date, place, and time she had written on the parchment days before in the Scroll Keep. "Promise me this will reach no one's hand but Osario's."

Kanar took the tiny envelope and tucked it away in his belt pouch. "I swear to you, on my life, that no one but Osario shall touch the contents of this envelope."

"Thank you, Kanar. You are a loyal servant of the kingdom." Michiru looked up at the sound of voices in the courtyard below. "We must make our retreat. Please speak to no one about our meeting."

"Yes, Princess- but- are you-"

"I fare well, Kanar. And I have plans to restore the kingdom to its former glory, which is why that envelope must reach Osario. Rest easy, all shall return to normal soon."

Kanar nodded. "I understand fully. Take your leave, Princess."

Michiru smiled at him and touched his hand gently, then raised her hood up and looked at Xando. The two waited for Kanar to continue walking out of the guard station before they crept out, sliding down the wall and sprinting carefully into the forest and away.

* * *

Xando had been right in his prediction of Haruka's reaction to the news that he and Michiru had snuck away to conduct their secret mission. After the initial explosion, the bandit leader calmed down enough to realize that the benefits outweighed the risks. They needed Osario on their side at all costs if they were going to mount an attack against the king himself. After arguing and scolding them both for the better part of an hour, Haruka finally relented to let the issue drop.

"Xando, you may go, but not you, Michiru."

The purple-haired man gave Michiru a sympathetic look, and then made his hasty retreat. Michiru moved hesitantly closer to the blonde and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Please don't ever take an unnecessary risk like that again," Haruka said quietly.

"I hardly deem what Xando and I have done as 'unnecessary,' Haruka," Michiru said softly.

"Suppose you would have been captured again? What then? I hardly think your father would allow us to slip in and steal you so easily a third time…"

"But I wasn't captured, we've been over this already… I understand your concern, Haruka, but I am a completely integrated and self-sustaining part of this team. And I'd rather risk my own life than another's."

Haruka sighed. "I suppose you're right."

They were silent for a few long, tense moments, and then Michiru spoke softly. "How's your wound?"

Haruka smiled crookedly. "Painful. Perhaps that's why I'm in such an irritable mood."

Michiru smiled at her reply. "Shall I bring you some spirits, then?" she teased, grateful for the sudden shift in their conversation.

"No, I'll manage," the blonde chuckled. She turned suddenly serious. "How long do we have?"

"Two days' time," Michiru responded. "You should be mostly healed by then."

"Healed or no, I must be present." Michiru nodded her agreement as Haruka continued, slightly bemused, "But I don't like not having control of the situation- we're leaving too much in the hands of your Captain. However, I trust you, and I know that you know what you're doing…. so all I can do is follow through with the rest of your… plan."

* * *

"Listen carefully- I want all of you on high alert. Pholus, you're in charge, and before you can protest, there's no changing my mind. I need you here in case this turns sour. Michiru and I are going to meet with the Captain of her personal guard. I need two volunteers to accompany us." The blonde looked around as every bandit, including Pholus, raised their hand. She cast the brown-haired man, who was grinning like he told the world's funniest joke, a humorless look and nodded towards Xando and Leko. "I saw you volunteer first. We leave immediately. The rest of you stay here and expect an ambush. If we are not back by morning, assume us dead and relocate. Do NOT attempt a rescue." She gave Pholus a pointed glare.

"Why bother with that, Haruka? You know there's no way any of us would leave you to Chiron unless we saw you hanged ourselves," Pholus laughed.

Haruka sighed. "Will you please attempt to be respectful of my last wishes?"

"Oh, stop," Michiru said, exasperated. "This is not going to end badly."

"That's what we thought about the plan to talk to your father," Haruka muttered under her breath. The other bandits chuckled and Michiru gave the blonde a disproving look and rolled her eyes.

Haruka signaled to Xando and Leko to get their things, and the two left quickly to equip themselves. Michiru did the same, and within the hour they were ready to go.

"We are meeting him not far from here," Haruka explained to her two accompanying comrades. "At sundown. Leko, I need you on six-"

"Of course you do-"

"And Xando, I need you-"

"Up high, to watch for an ambush."

Haruka stopped and gave them a suspicious look. "Have you two done this before?"

* * *

Haruka and Michiru reached the edge of the small clearing located not far from the palace walls, and waited. Xando had already split off to take up his post in the trees, and Leko was trailing behind them, ensuring they were not being followed or surrounded. They all remained silent, and before long, the pair detected the steady approach of footsteps attempting to be quiet, but obviously having no skill at it. Michiru cast her leader a look of pity in response to the knowledge that the footsteps belonged to her personal soldiers, and at the blonde's answering shrug, she took a hesitant step into the clearing, exposing herself.

Osario came into view, cautiously, his sword drawn and raised in preparation to defend himself from a surprise attack. Michiru heard a small chuckle from her blonde companion and turned to give her a glare. Flanking their Captain, Kanar and another soldier whom Michiru did not recognize entered the clearing soon after.

"Show yourself, bandit," Osario demanded, standing tall and brandishing his sword threateningly. Michiru noticed that his sword hand shook just slightly, and she took another step towards the man, reaching up slowly to lower her hood and noticing in her peripheral vision that Haruka had entered the clearing as well.

"Osario," she spoke softly, allowing the moonlight to illuminate her delicate features.

At the sight of his princess, the Captain bowed his head in respect, muttering about how he was thankful she was alive. She smiled at him in encouragement, but the initial pleasure at seeing her vanished after a moment when the Captain noticed that Haruka, still obscured by her hood, was standing near her. Michiru frowned at his resulting glare and her gaze met that of the blonde's. Silently, their eyes communicated what they were feeling-

_It's all right, he's_-

_I don't trust him_-

_He doesn't trust _you, _you have to_-

_If you think it best, then_…

Haruka reached up and slowly lowered her own hood, earning a gasp from all three soldiers.

"God, it's _him_!"

"I can't believe it!"

Haruka grinned wickedly at their astonished expressions, watching in amusement as Kanar and his unnamed fellow soldier both raised their weapons, as if she couldn't take all three of them out easily…

"That won't be necessary," Michiru cautioned. "We're here to talk."

Osario gestured for his men to stand down, and instead produced the letter he had received from Michiru via Kanar. "That we are… You have a plan, Princess?"

"Yes, I do. But I'm afraid I can't let you in on most of it. I hope you do understand." At the consent of her Captain, Michiru continued. "There are many soldiers who are loyal to my father, Osario. I'm certain you know this, and know of which soldiers I speak. They enjoy his war-mongering and take pleasure from the conquests and battles that he inflicts upon them and the rest of his kingdom. However, there are many of us that no longer wish to take part in that way of life, who are tired of the constant bloodshed and chaos. I should hope that these men's loyalties lie with the kingdom itself, and that I may rely on that loyalty to restore the kingdom to its former glory."

"I guarantee there are many, Princess, who feel that way… What would you have me do?"

"I need you to gather them, Osario. As many as you can. Create a following, if you will, a small army."

"What will I do with this army?"

"Be prepared. Wait until I summon you. We will need many on our side if we are to take down my father, which means you must all be ready at a moment's notice. Do you think you can do that?"

"I can certainly give it all I've got!"

"Excellent. We will meet here in seven days' time to discuss progress." Michiru hesitated. "How fares the palace?"

"The king is furious," Osario admitted. "When I returned from fulfilling your previous task, he was in an uproar and threatening to kill every one of us. It was Fresnel who managed to counsel him out of his rage… The next day he had you publicly declared as a traitor to the crown and deemed that anyone harboring or helping you be the same."

"Aye, he posted these," Kanar added, pulling a folded parchment from his belt. He unfolded it and handed it to Michiru, who felt her stomach drop at the sight. It was a poster with an artistic rendering of Haruka's face featured in the center, the words WANTED clearly written in large block letters at the top, with a reward for a large sum of money posted at the bottom.

_Dead or Alive_.

She swallowed.

"There's another one featuring you, Princess," Osario said softly. "But it's scarce- it's _him_ the king wants." He pointed at Haruka, who remained blank, an indescribable expression on her face. "That's why we were so surprised to see him reveal his identity so readily, with such a large reward on his head…."

"We were not aware of the posters," Michiru murmured. She folded the poster up and tucked it into her cloak. "Sh- _he _did it as a gesture of faith."

Osario nodded slowly. "Understood. Well, sir," he turned to Haruka, "if you fancy staying alive, make sure no one sees your face again, at least until this whole mess is cleared."

"If it ever _gets_ cleared," the unnamed soldier growled darkly.

"We are doing our best to ensure that it will be," Michiru reassured kindly. A sharp whistle made the two present bandits perk up suddenly, and Michiru smiled at Osario. "We must go now. Thank you for the warning."

"I will see you in seven days' time," Osario confirmed.

Michiru nodded and replaced her hood. "Good-bye…"

"Good-bye, Princess…"

Within seconds, the two bandits slipped into the forest as silently as they had come.

* * *

"'Wanted' posters! What next? Bandit-hunting parties? This is ridiculous!" Leko blew up, slamming his fist down on the table where the poster lay. The rest of the bandits had not taken the grim news of the posters well.

"It's true- my identity has been compromised," Haruka admitted. "Chiron saw my face during our last encounter. I can no longer roam the streets freely, or allow anyone to recognize me. Each of you runs a greater risk of compromising your own identities, and consequently, your lives if you continue to actively follow me down this path. I understand how important it is to remain anonymous and do not expect any of you to risk your freedom, so I release all of you from this group." At the sounds of loud protesting, she continued, "You are free to stay, but I want you to know that you are no longer obligated under your previous oath- I only ask that you do not reveal my whereabouts, or Michiru's, if you decide to walk away from all of this. You may choose."

Silence spread for a moment before Zephus burst out laughing. "Haruka, I have to admire you- you said that in all seriousness, and actually genuinely believed that some of us might walk away!"

"We can't walk away," Tukk chimed in. "Not now when we have a plan- a good plan-"

"A plan that might actually work!" Leko exclaimed.

"-and we're so close to making our dream that we've been working towards all these years a reality," Pholus continued, despite the teasing noises from the rest of the group at his statement. "We can't quit."

"No, we're not leaving you," Xando concluded.

"Not even if you order us away," Michiru added with a smile, placing her hand gently on the blonde's shoulder.

Haruka bowed her head. "I'm touched by your stupidity, really I am- but if none of you are walking away, then we need to get to work in securing our secondary hideout. I have a feeling this safety house will not remain safe for much longer. The coming days will be much harder."

"All true statements," Zephus agreed. "But suppose we did walk away- with such hardships coming on, as you say, it grows increasingly more difficult to make an honest living, and would be especially so for us, just starting out."

"Better to struggle in business than to be at the end of Chiron's rope," the blonde pointed out darkly.

Pholus punched the blonde in the arm. "Just face it, Haruka, we're not leaving."

"Say- did anyone else hear that?" Tukk asked suddenly.

The bandits fell eerily quiet, straining to pick up the faintest sounds. Finally, the notes of a loud bell in the distance reached their ears, and Xando frowned. "It's Summons. I'm sure the town crier will be announcing something relative to our status as outlaws."

Leko raised an eyebrow. "Shall we go check it out?"

"Not all of us," Haruka cautioned.

"I volunteer," Michiru offered, her tone challenging anyone to argue.

No one did.

"I'll accompany you." Michiru turned to Zephus, the one who had spoken, and smiled. She caught Haruka's doubtful expression from the corner of her eye and quickly began striding towards the edge of the forest, calling over her shoulder.

"Let us hurry, or we'll miss the news."

Zephus hastily caught up with her, catching her intentions. "My thoughts exactly."

* * *

They hid in the crowd, obscured by the masses of people. It was starting to rain, so many of the villagers were wearing hooded cloaks, which only succeeded in blending the two bandits in seamlessly. Carefully, quietly, they separated and worked their way to the edge of the crowd, giving themselves an easier escape route should they be spotted.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" the bellman called loudly, his hand bell clanging, silencing the loud prattle of the peasant crowd. Once satisfied with the hushed level of noise, he handed his bell to his assistant, a young boy, and unrolled a long piece of parchment. He began to read clearly.

"It is ordered on this day, 17th July, by our gracious ruling sovereign, His Majesty King Chiron, that all subjects are here and henceforth until further proclamation to contribute not less than forty-five percent of all earnings, properties, and fair goods as taxes to support His Majesty's Crusades, though all may, and are encouraged to contribute more."

A cry of absolute outrage went up from the crowd, and Michiru found Zephus's eyes from across the square. His expression was that of seething rage, and Michiru feared her own mimicked his. The uproar around them was growing increasingly more angry, and to calm the crowd the Town Crier rang his bell sternly, recalling the attention of the furious villagers.

"His Majesty reminds us that his Crusades are for the benefit of all, and that the true culprits to blame in these troubled times are the traitors to the crown…" The man gestured to his young assistant, who held up Haruka's WANTED poster, displaying it to the gathered crowd. "Keep in mind there is a most satisfying reward for the capture of this bandit, or for any information on the whereabouts of His Majesty's poor, brainwashed daughter…"

Michiru had heard enough. She felt herself growing more and more furious at each passing word. Not only did her father raise taxes, but now he was making himself out to be the victim, as if he was deeply troubled by the fact that his dear daughter had morphed into a 'traitor to the crown.' She sighed and caught Zephus's eyes again, tilting her head towards their exit alley. He nodded and slipped away through the crowd, and she did the same, then circled around to meet him in their designated alley.

"Pleased with the message?" he chuckled in amusement, a wry grin on his face.

Michiru rolled her eyes. "Quite."

Her response caused him to laugh outright. "I'm sure Haruka will be equally pleased…"

* * *

The next few days passed by in a continuous blur for Michiru. They split up into shifts. Three of them were constantly out raiding, two of them were guarding their camp, and two of them were resting. When the three raiders returned, the shift rotated, so that everyone had equal downtime. But it was exhausting, and Michiru felt herself wearing down. She couldn't give up, however- they were all tired, but the increase of the king's taxes meant the increase of his collector's patrols, which meant more opportunities to steal back the money that was being drained from the town.

And so began an endless cycle that grew increasingly more vicious- the king raised taxes, the bandits intercepted the collections and surreptitiously dispersed the stolen money to the townspeople, resulting in an even angrier king who raised the taxes again out of spite… it was a silent war carried out over the span of a handful of days, and despite the bandits' best efforts, the town was beginning to lose hope that things would ever improve.

Michiru had just come from a raid that had followed a guard shift, and was now ready to collapse. She felt like she had just laid down when she was being roused awake by Pholus.

"UP, Michiru! Now!"

Bleary-eyed, with her tired limbs screaming their protest, she obeyed, sensing the urgency in her comrade's voice. She was on her feet and in a defensive stance within seconds. "What is it?" she mumbled, forcing her exhausted eyes open.

"Come with me. We have a problem."

Adrenaline flooded her system at his serious tone. Her stomach clenched and she silently hoped that it had nothing to do with Haruka being injured. She snatched up her cloak and weapons on her way out the door after her companion, a million questions coming to her mind. "Is-" she started but Pholus cut her off, sensing her inquiry.

"It's none of us, don't worry. You'll see. Let's hustle."

They reached the door of the cabin and broke into a swift run, Pholus leading her into the woods. After a few yards Michiru sensed they had been joined by Leko, who swooped down from the trees and flanked them, true to his position. Pholus followed paths that Michiru had not had the opportunity to familiarize herself with, and after a few minutes, they reached the edge of a small clearing. Michiru drew her bow and readied an arrow, but Pholus protested. "That won't be necessary- I hope…" Doubtful, she lowered her bow but kept her arrow knocked, just in case. She stepped forward slowly, entering the clearing with caution. It was daytime but the thickness of the trees blotted out most of the sunlight, so she could just barely make out the figures of Haruka and Tukk, guarding a man who was on his knees, his hands bound behind him.

As she stepped closer she recognized the dirty blonde hair of her Second-in-Command. "Kanar," she gasped. She met Haruka's steely gaze. "Why is he here?"

"We found him in the woods," Tukk explained lowly. "He was alone, calling for you." He raised an eyebrow at her and Michiru frowned.

"Why?"

"He wouldn't talk until you were present, Michiru," Haruka said gently. She turned to Kanar, and in a much sterner voice, said, "So now she's here, and the meaning of your intrusion into our territory before the designated time _will_ be explained fully, if you value your life."

Kanar glared at his captor, then his eyes met Michiru's, causing the girl to swallow. His eyes were haunted, intense- and Michiru felt her heart speed up at the bad news s sensed he was surely about to deliver. "Princess," he started, his voice coarse, "forgive me for intruding like this- it was never my intention- but I needed to contact you sooner- and I-" He was siezed by a fit of coughing and Michiru moved forward, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Kanar, what happened? Where's Osario?" she asked, her tone sounding slightly hysterical in her own ears. She had a sinking feeling that she knew the answer, and she was afraid of it. There was only one reason why Kanar was here, and not her Captain.

"Osario is dead."

* * *

OHHH SNAP. Hope that didn't piss too many of you guys off! I didn't really plan to kill him at first, buuuut then it just sort of happened. You'll find out why in the next chapter... speaking of which! I'd better get writing! See you guys in another year, lol! ;)

Seriously, though, thanks for reading! You guys are great. Hopefully the wait won't be as long for the next chapter because I do believe it's shorter, but eh, I say that every time so really I should probably just shut it and stop getting your hopes up. :X

See you next time, pals! :D


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